So Hard
by imagine131
Summary: An A/U Callizona taking place a while after the bathroom kiss. Is there love strong enough to overcome any obstacle? Let's find out. Drama to come, because it wouldn't be me if there wasn't some angst. Title's a Dixie Chicks song. For Kristyn.
1. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

**A Callizona requested by none other than Kristyn the Kid. She also helped me out with the idea, so thank you very much. Enjoy!**_

* * *

_

_Callie stood leaning up against the bathroom sink, trying not to cry. Deep down she was happy that Mark and Lexie were happy, but at the surface, she very much wished they'd be quietly happy. She had told Lexie that, but Lexie couldn't contain her exciting secret. And now here stood Callie, feeling like someone had ripped a hole in her insides, causing a nearly unbearable pain. _

_She hears the door open behind her and looks up at the mirror, wiping the tears that had escaped her control and trying to salvage her make-up. She saw a pretty woman with short curly blonde hair standing behind her. Callie recognized her from the hospital._

"_Hey," the woman said. _

"_Hey," Callie replied. She tried to keep her voice as normal sounding as possible._

"_Ortho, right?" the woman asked, taking a step or so closer. _

"_Yeah, right. Hi." 'Good job Callie, keep it together,' Callie instructed herself._

"_I'm Arizona Robbins, peds surgery," the woman introduced. "I've seen you at the hospital….Are you okay?" Arizona added in a curious/worried voice. _

"_Yeah, no, I'm fine," Callie said, turning around to face Arizona. "Fine." _

"_People talk," Arizona explained. "Where we work. They talk. A lot. So, for the sake of being honest, I think I should tell you that... I know things about you…because people talk." Arizona smiled and laughed. She seemed so happy. The fake smile that had been on Callie's face melted away._

"_Oh…you mean…." Callie's voice trailed off and Arizona responded with a nod. Callie sighed. "Terrific."_

"_It is, actually," Arizona insisted. Callie laughed a little. "People really like you over there. They respect you, and they're concerned, and they're interested. They really like you. Some of them __really__ like you. You—You just look upset, and I thought that you should know that the talk is good, and when you're not upset, when you're over being upset, there will be people lining up for you." There was a moment of silence when Arizona finished speaking, during which Callie tried to process what she had just heard and what it had meant. Finally she let out another laugh._

"_You wanna give me some names?" she half-joked, still laughing. Arizona looked surprised that Callie hadn't picked up on her hints. Throwing all caution to the wind, she grabbed Callie's face and kissed her. _

"_I think you'll know," Arizona said to Callie's surprised but smiling face when she pulled away. With a grin and a giggle, Arizona left the bathroom, leaving Callie with emotions the opposite of what she had been feeling when she had entered the bathroom._

* * *

"Hey, you ready?" Arizona Robbins asked, walking into the cluttered bathroom she shared with her girlfriend Callie Torres. Callie was in front of the mirror, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. Arizona snapped her fingers in front of Callie's stupefied gaze, bringing her back to the present.

"Huh?" Callie said stupidly, turning to Arizona.

"I asked if you were ready. What's up with you, you looked like you were a million miles away?" Arizona informed her, sounding worried. Callie grinned.

"I was remembering the night we officially met. The night of our first kiss," Callie admitted. Arizona mirrored Callie's grin.

"It was in the bathroom…like we are right now," Arizona added seductively, taking a few steps closer to Callie. Callie swallowed.

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, breathing slowly. Arizona was now only an inch from Callie. "Remind me how that went," Callie asked, though she knew perfectly well 'how that went'. Arizona leaned forward and placed her hands on Callie's cheeks, just as she had done in the bar.

"I _think_ it went a little like this," Arizona whispered, kissing Callie. She pulled away way too soon for Callie.

"Oh no, I'm not done with you yet," Callie scolded lightly, pulling Arizona back to her. They both let out a short laugh before their lips met once more.

**…**

"Shit!" Callie yelled, jumping to her feet. She ran quickly to the mirror, touching up her make-up and looking at her seriously messed-up hair. "Look what you did," Callie whined. Arizona got up from the floor also, laughing. She laughed until she got to the mirror herself and caught sight of her own hair.

"Look what _you _did!" she retorted, trying to make her Medusa hair lay like it was before the sequel to the bathroom kiss had occurred.

"Yours isn't half as bad as mine! It took me forever to straighten it! And we're going to miss our reservation," Callie argued. They stood bickering for several minutes, trying to fix their appearances.

"You're the one that brought up the kiss," Arizona muttered.

"You're the one that preformed the kiss."

"You're the one that wanted more."

In the end, they did make it to the restaurant before they gave their table away to someone else. But their hair just did not look the same.

"Uhm, Arizona, you're strap is, uhm…" Callie said, pointing at the thin strap of Arizona's dress, which had slid down her slim shoulder. Callie could hardly talk for staring. Arizona smiled and slowly pulled the strap back to its original position.

"You know, you shouldn't leave your mouth hanging open like that. You might swallow a fly or something," Arizona joked quietly, noticing that Callie was staring open-mouthed at her still. Callie's eyes snapped upwards. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she stuttered an apology. Arizona laughed it off.

The rest of their dinner was pretty uneventful. They swapped stories from the hospital and joked about co-workers and patients. It was a very light, fun evening, but Callie couldn't wait to be shot of the restaurant. She couldn't wait to get back home and finish what they had started before realizing that they had plans.

When the check came, they both reached out for it. They sat there for a solid minute, both of their hands on the little black folder containing the check. Then Arizona leaned in and spoke very quietly and seriously to Callie.

"Let me get this Cal. I know you can't really afford it right now," she nearly whispered. Callie's features smoothed out and a hot flush creeped up her neck. She let go of the checkbook, glaring angrily at Arizona. Arizona guiltily paid the bill and braced herself for what Callie was going to say when they got outside.

"Don't you ever do that again," Callie growled, grabbing Arizona's arm and turning her around. Arizona pulled her hand out of her purse and looked up, determined.

"I was just trying to help. I know things have been tight since your father disowned you," Arizona said, trying to explain her actions.

"I don't need or want help Arizona. I'm doing just fine on my own, and I don't need you embarrassing me like that!"

"I'm sorry," Arizona said sincerely. "I didn't mean to make you feel…uncomfortable or anything. I would never do that."

"I know," Callie finally responded with a sigh. She wrapped her arms tightly around Arizona. "I know."

* * *

**_The first time ever I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes.  
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave,  
To the dark and the endless sky, my love.  
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth,  
I felt the earth move through my hands.  
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird  
That was there at my command._**

**So what do YOU think is gonna happen in this fic?**


	2. Crash Into Me

**This is a chapter to build and establish relationships. Bear with me, and enjoy! PS--Thanks for all the reviews!**

* * *

"Hey," said Mark Sloan, turning a corner and nearly walking right into Callie. He changed the length of his stride so he could walk next to Callie.

"Hey," she responded.

"So, Lexie is working a bit later than me today and I was wondering if you wanted to go to Joe's with me after work. If you don't have anything else planned," Mark suggested. Callie pretended to think about it for a moment, although she knew perfectly well that Arizona was also working late and that she had nothing to do until then.

"Sure," Callie agreed.

"Cool," Mark said with a grin. Then he spotted Lexie up near the nurses' station and he ran up to meet her. Ever since they'd made their relationship public, well…it'd been _really_ public. But if it hadn't been for Mark and Lexie and the fact that they were trying to date 'underground', that bathroom kiss with Arizona probably would never have happened. Callie made a detour down the first corridor she came to to avoid seeing Mark suck Lexie's face off. Or at least, that's what it looked like.

Her detour actually turned out to be helpful, however, as it brought her to the pediatrics ward. It didn't take long to find Arizona; she was racing a patient down the hallway, both with Heely's on and she was laughing her beautiful Arizona laugh. Arizona crashed into Callie, causing her to stumble backwards. They both gripped each others arms for support so they wouldn't fall over.

"Hey stranger," Callie greeted, laughing along with Arizona.

"Okay Amos, you win this time. Be thankful Dr. Torres here got in my way. You won't be so lucky next time," Arizona warned the little boy she had been racing. The boy grinned and said something back to Arizona, but Callie wasn't listening. She had just caught sight of Arizona's eyes, her beautiful, loving eyes. "Sorry about that," Arizona said to Callie, giving her a quick kiss.

"No, no, feel free to crash into me anytime," Callie responded in a dazed voice, still staring at Arizona's eyes.

"You know, I'm pretty sure you can let go now. I think I've got my balance back," Arizona pointed out. Callie blushed.

"I don't wanna," she whined, though she let go of Arizona all the same. Arizona laughed again.

"So what were you doing in peds? Looking for bones to break? I'm afraid I don't have anything for you…"

"Actually, I was making a detour to avoid Mark and Lexie," Callie explained. Arizona made a face. "And I ended up here. Which is good, because I wanted to talk to you….You know how you're working later than me tonight?" Arizona nodded. "Would you mind if I went to the bar with Mark? We haven't really hung out in a while; we've both been…caught up in other things." Arizona smiled.

"Why would I care if you go out with Mark tonight? You _should_ go, have some fun. Just…not too much fun, okay?" Arizona replied. Callie grinned excitedly.

"Oh thank you, thank you! I promise I'll be good!" she joked, giving Arizona a big hug.

"I'll meet you at the bar after my shift, okay?" Arizona laughed. Callie nodded.

…

"Hey," Mark said for the second time that day as he sat down on the bar stool next to Callie. He held up two fingers to Joe, who in return out two bottles of beer on the counter. He offered one of them to Callie, who accepted it wordlessly.

"So I guess things with Lexie have been going well," Callie remarked.

"Yeah, it's great," Mark responded, not picking up on the tone of Callie's voice. "We've been talking about moving in together actually."

"Really? That's a pretty big step." Callie was surprised. As far as she knew, the last time Mark had proposed living together, Lexie had laughed it off as a joke. Had it really been that long since they'd talked like this?

"Yeah, I guess," Mark said as he took a swig from his beer bottle. "How is it for you? Living with Arizona?"

"Well," Callie began slowly, "it's different for us. You know, we're both girls, we both get it. You should probably talk to Derek about this. He would know more about…uhm…co-ed living arrangements in a relationship." Mark shrugged.

"I'm sure Lexie's already talked to Meredith about it," he muttered.

"Is something going on between you and Derek?" Callie asked curiously. It took a while for Mark to respond.

"Derek hasn't been the same since we left New York. Everything's about Meredith now. It's worse then it ever was with Addison," Mark admitted bitterly.

"I think you should move in with Lexie," Callie said eventually. Mark looked at her, surprised. "She makes you really happy. I say, go for it." _Besides,_ Callie thought, _if you live together you can get all the sex and kissing stuff out of your system before and after work…not at it._

They sat together at the bar for a while, sometimes talking and sometimes just sitting and enjoying their drinks. After a while the bar began to fill up as more and more doctors got off of work. It wasn't long before Lexie came bounding over.

"Hey," she said breathlessly to Callie after pulling her face away from Mark's.

"Hey," Callie responded in a somewhat fake cheerful voice. She missed Arizona and the feeling was made worse when she saw happy couples.

"Would you mind if I stole him back?" Lexie asked in her innocent little girl voice. "I'm, uhm…tired." Neither Mark nor Callie missed what Lexie was hinting at.

"Yeah, I'm…tired too," Mark agreed, standing up and looking pleadingly at Callie. Callie sighed.

"Oh all right, go have fun," she relented. As Mark was heading towards the door she called out to him, "Hey Mark, not _too_ much fun, okay?" with a smug smile. Mark blushed, clearly remembering the day when Lexie broke Little Sloan.

"Hello," a voice behind Callie said. She turned to see a handsome looking man with short dark hair and light green eyes.

"Hi," Callie said, confused.

"Are you here alone?" the man asked. He sat down next to Callie and placed his drink on the bar.

"Yeah," Callie replied. She was growing more and more confused as the conversation went on. The man shook his head and clucked his tongue.

"That should be a crime; a pretty girl like you all alone."

"I'm sorry, what are you—?" Callie began to ask.

"How about I give you some company?" the man interrupted smoothly. Callie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she slowly realizes what was happening.

"Oh my god, are you…?" Callie asked, shocked.

"You're just so beautiful…."

"I have a girlfriend!" Callie blurted out. The man froze mid-sentence. The people around them were dead silent for a moment, but then a few began to laugh. Other's went back talking to their neighbors, looking a little disapproving. Joe was watching from behind the bar, an amused look on his face. "I am so sorry," Callie said as the man let out a sound halfway between a short laugh and a sigh. "If you had come up to me about a year ago, I would've said 'yes' in a heartbeat, but…"

"But…."

"Yeah. No. I'm sorry." The man grinned bravely at Callie before taking off, his face flushed. It was only a few seconds after he left that Arizona came in. Callie was sitting stock-still in her seat, the shocked expression still on her face.

"Have fun?" Arizona asked brightly. Callie turned her head towards Arizona, froze for a second, and then quickly grabbed Arizona and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

* * *

**_Touch your lips just so I know  
In your eyes, love, it glows so  
I'm bare boned and crazy for you  
When you come crash  
into me, baby  
And I come into you_**

**Please review. Drama should begin next chapter =)**


	3. Mad Season

**Hey guys! The flashback up here is A/U and it is to show that I cut all the stupid "newborn" stuff out of my fic. Enjoy!**

* * *

'_There she is,' Callie thought. 'Just go up to her.' With a deep breath, Callie took a few confident steps closer. Then she froze. Her stomach was knotted painfully and she felt like her heart had jumped into her throat. Feeling sick, she dodged into the nearest room to avoid being seen by Arizona Robbins. _

"_Come on," she whined aloud, leaning against the closed door to the on-call room. She flipped on the lights. Mark Sloan was lying on the bed, facing her. He squinted in the light. _

"_Don't you knock?" he asked irritably. _

"_I was escaping," Callie explain. She nudged Mark, telling him to move over and she lay down beside him. _

"_Escaping who?" He sounded tired and disinterested, but Callie kept talking anyway. _

"_Arizona Robbins. I was going to talk to her, but…I freaked out. I can't do this Mark," Callie confided. She turned her head towards Mark, searching for advice. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow, but he was still awake._

"_Grow a set and go talk to her," Mark said before rolling over so his back was to her. Callie glared at his back for a few moments, but then she heard low snoring and decided to leave. _

_Arizona was standing exactly where she was when Callie had begun her mission. Callie commanded her feet forward and tried to remember how to speak as she slowly approached the blonde surgeon. _

"_Uhm…hey," Callie said, stopping short a few feet behind Arizona. Arizona turned, looking for the source of the voice. She smiled when she saw Callie. _

"_Hey. What's up?" she asked. Her smile made Callie more confident. She took a step closer, breathing regularly again. _

"_About what you said…in the bathroom the other night….You said that when I wasn't upset anymore, you'd be here. And, well, I'm still upset. But…I don't want to be upset anymore. And the only way to not be upset is to not be alone. So, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me sometime, because I think that you can make me happy again, and I really…__really__ just want to be happy again," Callie said, somewhat quickly. Arizona had heard every word spoken though She walked up really close to Callie, only a few inches away. _

"_I'd really love to make you happy again Callie Torres," Arizona whispered sweetly. _

Arizona's face was just inches from Callie's. Callie opened one eye reluctantly.

"Can I help you?" she asked Arizona's smiling face. She was lying in bed, trying to take a nap. But Arizona was laying half next to her and half on top of her, making sleep unlikely.

"Welllllll," Arizona began brightly. "Mark and Lexie also happen to be off tonight. And you know how that doesn't happen very often, us all being off on the same night…"

"No," Callie said firmly. "No way, I'm not going out tonight. I'd have to get up and shower and get up and spend and hour and a half getting ready…and get up."

"Please?" Arizona begged, popping out her lower lip. Callie sighed.

"Damn you Arizona Robbins," she muttered. Arizona cheered and jumped off the bed. Callie sat up slowly, wishing she could have just slept.

"Good, because I've already told them 'yes'," Arizona said cheekily, grabbing a towel and heading towards the bathroom.

"What if I hadn't back down?" Callie asked. She too grabbed a towel from the hall closet.

"You can't resist my charm," Arizona scoffed. Callie rolled her eyes, but she knew it was true.

"Hey, I have to shower too!" Callie called over the sound of the water pouring onto the tiled floor of the shower.

"So come join me," Arizona yelled back. Callie distinctly heard her giggle from the other side of the door. Callie smiled and entered the already steamy shower.

…

"How is it that we always take longer showering together than both of us showering alone?" Callie asked as she wrapped her towel around herself.

"Because you can't resist my charm," Arizona said again, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," Callie agreed. With only an hour left until they were supposed to meet Mark and Lexie, there was no more time for fooling around. They ran around, digging through closets and dressers, looking for alternate mirrors and fighting over the hairdryer. 58 minutes later, they both appeared at the door, looking worn out but beautiful.

"So where exactly are we going?" Callie asked from the passenger seat car. She was digging in her purse, making sure she had everything she needed.

"Just to dinner. Noting fancy," Arizona replied. They arrived at the restaurant 4 minutes late, but Mark and Lexie were still in the lobby.

"This place is packed," Mark complained.

"Want to go somewhere else?" Callie asked. The lobby was indeed full of people waiting for a table.

"How about the diner?" Arizona suggested. No one had any objections and they left the crowded restaurant willingly.

"This is better," Mark said, taking in the dull hum of the diner. There were only a few tables full and they were seated immediately. At the table to the right was a couple with a young boy. He was probably around three years old and he smiled and waved at them as they sat down, acting like he knew them. Arizona smiled and waved back, talking to him in a baby voice.

"He's so cute," she said to Callie. Callie 'Mhm'-ed her and flipped open the menu. "I can't wait to have one of my own."

Callie froze. She was very much aware of Mark and Lexie staring at her, but she didn't look up. She hardly dared to blink or breathe. Had Arizona really just said that? Callie laughed nervously.

"Yeah…"she said uncomfortably, still not looking up. She could feel Arizona's eyes on her now too. Eventually Mark said something, changing the topic and Callie joined in the discussion eagerly, avoiding Arizona's eyes. The rest of the evening passed too quickly for Callie, who was dreading being alone with Arizona. Although Arizona had joined in every conversation, Callie could tell she was angry.

"Why did you freak out when I mentioned having a child?" Arizona asked after three solid minutes of silent driving.

"Well…we've never talked about it before, and then you just spring it on me like that in front of Mark and Lexie!" Callie defended.

"So it was just that you were surprised, not that you were scared?"

"Well, I mean, I was…a little scared of the thought of…it's a big deal Arizona, and we've only been going out…not even a year yet!"

"I know that," Arizona said. Her voice was calm but Callie knew she wasn't as Zen as she appeared. "I didn't mean right this minute Callie. Having a child is definitely something I want to experience, and you have a problem with that, you should tell me now before things get more involved." Callie couldn't see how they could get much more involved, they were living together already, but she didn't mention that.

"I just…I don't know Arizona, okay. It's something I have to think about," Callie said slowly. She was hoping that would calm Arizona down for now. Arizona nodded, but didn't talk to Callie for the rest of the night.

_Seriously?!_ Was Callie's last thought before falling asleep that night.

* * *

**_So are you gonna stand there  
Are you gonna help me out  
You need to be together now - I need you now  
Do you think you can cope  
You figured me out - I'm lost and I'm hopeless  
Bleeding and broken - though I've never spoken  
I come undone - in this mad season_**

**And please review. Tell me your thoughts. I love to hear them.**


	4. I'll Do Anything

**I sincerely apologize for the fact that this is almost 500 words less than it should be. But, I was told that it was "perfect" and that I should post as is. I'll let you guys be the judge of that, though. Enjoy! **

* * *

Callie's eyes shot open suddenly at the sound of the door. For a moment she lay blinking in the bright light that flooded the room from the hospital corridor. Then finally she looked up at who had interrupted her sleep.

At first, Callie couldn't tell who it was. The way the light was shining from the behind, all Callie could see a dark silhouette. She guessed it was male. Then he entered the room more fully, closing the door and turning on the lights. Callie sat up quickly, nearly hitting her head on the top bunk.

"George?" George jumped in surprise, turning to Callie, who he didn't notice was in there until she had spoken.

"Callie? What are you doing here so early?" he asked.

"What are _you_ doing here so early?" Callie retorted.

"I asked first," George said with a grin. Callie rolled her eyes.

"Alright, fine," she began reluctantly. "Arizona and I…things haven't been too good for a few weeks now. We had a really big fight last night, and I ended up sleeping here."

"Arizona…that's your…girlfriend?" George confirmed. Callie nodded, ignoring the way in which George had sad the word 'girlfriend'.

"She wants kids," Callie admitted. George looked confused.

"So?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Callie. "I thought you wanted kids?"

"Yeah, I did…I guess I still do, but…don't you…don't you think it would be weird? Especially for the kid," Callie confided. She was embarrassed by her thoughts and looked down, away from George.

"Callie," George said. There was a harsh tone in his voice that made Callie look at him. Don't you ever be ashamed to be who you are—"

"I'm not—" Callie began to interrupt, but George didn't let her.

"Even if you're not, you sure are acting like you are. Look, you want the truth? Yes, it will be weird. But, does that really matter to you? Are you going to lose Arizona over a little bit of awkwardness? I know you Callie, you're stronger than that."

"Thank you George," Callie finally whispered. She gave him a quick hug, which he returned with one arm. "So…why are you here so early?" Callie asked after a while. George groaned, clearly thinking he'd been let off the hook.

"Well…Mark slept over last night me and Lexie's last night. I didn't get much sleep," he laughed. "I decided to come in early and try to get some rest before my shift. I really hate to say this, because I love Lexie, she's like my best friend, but…I really can't wait for her and Mark to move in together."

"I know, me too," Callie agreed, joining in George's laugh. "I'm tired of seeing them going at it all over the hospital." The next half hour or so was spent laughing and joking. For a moment, Callie was reminded of the old days when she and George were dating. But then it was over and Callie had to get ready for her shift.

"Thank you so much George," Callie said from the doorway. "I think you may have just saved me."

"Anytime," George replied with a smile.

**…**

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a second?" Callie asked nervously. Arizona snapped shut the chart she had been reading with unnecessary force. She turned to face Callie with red-rimmed, unhappy eyes. When she didn't speak, Callie continued talking. "I've been thinking…about what you said last night…about how you were going to do this, no matter what, whether you had my support or not…." Still, Arizona said nothing. "I love you Arizona, and I don't want to lose you over some stupid reason that makes sense to no one but me. I don't want to lose you because I'm ashamed…or acting like it. Really, I just don't want to lose you. Because I love you. A lot. So I'm going to support you with this decision. And every decision you ever make." Callie waited with bated breath for Arizona's reaction. Finally, Callie's words seemed to register with Arizona. Her features softened and Callie saw that her beautiful eyes were shining with tears.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked in a whisper. Callie nodded.

"Every word." Arizona threw her arms tightly around Callie.

"Thank you. Thank you so much Callie," she breathed. Callie could tell that she was crying silently.

"Are you kidding? I'd do anything for you Arizona," Callie said. Arizona laughed.

"I love you Callie," Arizona mumbled into Callie's neck.

* * *

**_I don't want you, I need you  
I don't care for you, I love you  
I'll be there for you because of you  
I'll do anything for you, you, you  
I'll do anything for you  
I'll do anything for you, you, you  
I'll do anything for you_**


	5. So Hard Part 1

**Another surprise guest in this chapter =) Enjoy!**

**Also, BIG thanks go to Kristyn and Chris. They made this possible.**

* * *

"Damn it!" Arizona yelled, slamming the bathroom door shut on her way out. Callie, who'd been sitting on the bed reading a magazine, looked up in worry. She had never seen Arizona like this, except when they were fighting (which, thankfully, hadn't happened in months).

"What's wrong?" Callie asked.

"I have my period!" Arizona snapped. Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that does suck doesn't it…?" she said, turning back to her magazine.

"That _means_ I'm not pregnant!" Arizona explained impatiently. She was pacing up and down the bedroom, spitting out a few Spanish curse words she had picked up from Callie in addition to well-known English ones.

"Oh….Right," Callie said slowly. Finally her brain caught up with Arizona and she grew serious. "Well, we can try it again."

"We've tried four times! What if it's me?" Arizona cried. She stopped pacing and turned to Callie with pleading, panicked eyes. "What if there's something wrong with me and that's why I didn't get pregnant?"

Callie quickly got off of the bed, crossing the room and wrapping her arms around Arizona in hopes of calming her down. Arizona had begun to cry and Callie could feel the shoulder of her tee-shirt getting wet, but she stayed absolutely still.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Callie assured her. "This isn't that uncommon, you know. I think we should try again. If that doesn't work then we'll worry, okay?" Of course, Callie was pulling her information out of no where. She had no idea how common or uncommon their situation was. But the words she spoke made Arizona feel better. Her tears began to let up as she pulled away from Callie. Before Callie could congratulate herself however, Arizona pulled off her jeans and climbed back into bed.

In any other situation, Callie would have been turned on by the sight of her girlfriend lying in bed with nothing but a tank-top and underwear on. Now, however, it just made Callie's heart melt. She sat on the bed next to Arizona almost awkwardly. She was not used to being the one who had to comfort the other. Things usually worked the other way around for Callie.

"So, what, you're just going to lie in bed all day? What about work?" Callie asked. Arizona abandoned the pillow she had been clutching and curled up closer to Callie. Callie rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles.

"I'll call out today," Arizona replied quietly. Callie laughed softly.

"You can't call out. The Chief will kill you." Arizona sort of shrugged the best she could, considering she was laying on her side with her head in Callie's lap.

"I don't care. I need a sweatpants day," Arizona said. Callie laughed again.

"I think you need sweatpants for a 'sweatpants day'," Callie remarked. Arizona punched her leg lightly.

"It's not funny," Arizona snapped. She sounded close to tears again.

"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm just not sure what to do right now." Arizona said nothing, just buried her face deeper into Callie's leg. Callie felt tears again, this time on her leg. "I'm going to make a phone call, okay? I won't be long, promise." Arizona nodded and moved over so Callie could get up. Callie saw that Arizona grabbed the pillow for support again.

_Please answer, please for the love of all that is good in this world, please answer,_ Callie thought as she paced the small bathroom, cell phone pressed against her ear. After four and a half rings, Callie got her wish.

"Hello?" Addison Montgomery answered.

"Hello? Addison? It's Callie. Torres. From Seattle Grace," Callie said in a rush.

"Callie! Hi! How are you, I haven't seen you in a while?" Addison greeted happily.

"Well, actually, I'm in a bit of a mess right now. I blame you. And Mark Sloan. But that's irrelevant. Look, uhm…it's my…my girlfriend, actually, who needs help…." Callie spent a good fifteen or more minutes explaining everything to Addison. There was a moment of silence when Callie finished speaking.

"And she's been taking the fertility drugs?" Addison asked.

"Yes. And we've tried four times now," Callie confirmed.

"Well, normally it takes about six tries with artificial insemination. That's about a 17% chance on your first try, but really it all depends on the individual person. So, average success rates are about 5—25%. With the fertility drugs, the odds are closer to 25%. I suggest you try another cycle or two and them maybe run some tests and see if there is something wrong," Addison said, losing the 'friend' tone and adopting a more serious, business-like one.

"Okay, thank you so much Addison," Callie said gratefully.

"No problem. It's my job," Addison's voice was that of a friend's again. "Call me after the next cycle with the results. If it's not good we'll talk about me coming up to Seattle for some tests. I'm sure I could get some time off."

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that!" Callie rallied immediately.

"I know I don't, but I want to. You're my friend, and this is my fault anyway," Addison joked. "Besides, I don't know who replaced me when I left, but if you're calling me for advice, something's not right."

"No, it's not that. I just…I trust you more. Because we're friends and because you're just about the best baby doc there is," Callie truthfully stated.

"Point and case. And thank you." Callie could almost hear Addison's smile. "I've got to go—work. Don't wait so long to call me again, okay?"

"Okay. Yeah, sure," Callie promised. "Bye." She hung up the phone but opened it again before it had a chance to cool off to make another phone call: the Chief.

…

Arizona was laying in the exact same position as when Callie left, though she had sweatpants on now. Callie laid down next to her again and Arizona resumed her position next to her.

"Did you get cold?" Callie asked, pointing towards the sweatpants. Arizona nodded into Callie's leg. "I called Addison Montgomery. She used to be the baby doctor here until she moved to LA, but we were good friends. She said you have about a 25% chance of conception and that we should try again before running any tests."

"25%?" Arizona said, raising herself on her elbows to look at Callie. Callie noticed that she had been crying. "That's one in four. We've tried four times and I'm still not pregnant."

"I know, but that's what Addison said and I trust her completely. She wants to come up here herself for the tests…if it doesn't work the next time," Callie added hastily. Arizona sighed, laying down again.

"It won't," she whispered sadly.

* * *

**_It feels like a given_**

**_Something a woman's born to do_**

**_A natural ambition_**

**_To see a reflection of me and you_**

**You've all been slacking off on your reviews. Chop chop. =D**


	6. So Hard Part 2

**Kristyn the Kid is a god. For many reasons. Thanks to her and all my readers, silent and not. Enjoy!**

* * *

Callie stood on the tips of her toes, trying to see over the heads of the people in front of her. The airport was hot, loud, and it smelled disgusting. This was most likely due to the fact that it was so overcrowded with people that it was a wonder anyone could actually breathe. Arizona, who was standing silently next to Callie, was not trying to see through the people as her partner was. She was simply standing, with a sad, depressed look about her.

At last Callie caught sight of curly red hair. She pushed her way through the crowd so she was closer to the front of the queue waiting by the gate. Arizona remained where she was. Callie, taking no noticed, called out to her California friend as best she could considering the amount of noise the surrounded them.

"Callie!" Addison called, rushing over. They beamed at each other and hugged in a friendly way.

"Hey! I'm so glad you could come! Your hair's shorter than I remember it…" Callie responded.

"Yeah, I got it cut….It's unfortunately that I had to come up, but I'm happy I could" Addison said loudly. Callie nodded. "Where is she anyway?" Callie turned around, surprised to not find Arizona next to her. Callie led the way back to where she'd previously been standing. Arizona looked up and smiled when she saw them, but Callie knew it was her fake smile. It was the same smile she wore when she was with her patients at work all day. Arizona's face hadn't experienced a true smile in a long time.

"Hi, you must be Addison," Arizona said brightly, holding out her hand. Addison shook it.

"Yes, and I'm assuming you're Arizona?" Addison replied. Arizona nodded. When her hand dropped, so did her smile and all false pretenses. "I'm sorry my visit is necessary," Addison said more quietly, noticing Arizona's apparent change in mood.

"No, it's okay. Thank you for coming. Callie thinks very highly of you," Arizona said, her smile back in place.

"Does she?" Addison asked with a raised eyebrow in Callie's direction. Callie shrugged.

"You _are_ the best baby doc I've ever met," she answered truthfully. Addison laughed softly. "Let's get out of here."

…

The phone rang. Its sound echoed throughout the empty room. Arizona heard it but didn't move. By the third ring, Callie realized what the noise was and dashed into the bedroom to answer it. The LCD screen on the front of her phone flashed the name "Addison" as the chorus to the song "Skin" by Rascal Flatts filled the room. Callie hurriedly flipped the phone open.

"Hello?" she answered breathlessly. She knew what this call meant. As she talked to Addison, she ran through the apartment, searching for Arizona. She was laying on the couch in her sweats, her eyes staring blankly at the bright screen on the television. A sitcom that Callie didn't recognize was on.

"The results are in Callie," Addison informed her. Callie searched frantically for the remote. Not finding it, she abandoned her quest and shut the TV off by using the button on the set itself. Arizona looked up at her lazily.

"And?" Callie asked quietly. She was afraid of the results, but desperately wanted to know. Addison was silent for a moment.

"Why don't you two come down to the hospital and we can talk about it," Addison said finally. Callie knew that that couldn't be good, but she didn't want to worry Arizona too much…yet.

"Was that Addison?" Arizona asked when Callie hung up the phone. Callie nodded, not looking at Arizona. "What did she say?"

"Why don't you go get dressed," Callie suggested after a hesitant pause. Arizona eyed her curiously, but got up and went into the bedroom. She emerged a few minutes later looking like the old Arizona, minus the smile that could light up any room. Callie missed the smile.

…

Addison stood in front of them. She wore her glasses, meaning that she was being serious and her arms were folded across her chest. Arizona sat on the edge of the hospital bed, her hands clutching the side so tightly her knuckles had turned white and her hands were sore. Callie was next to her, one hand on Arizona's knee comfortingly. Each and every one of their stomachs hurt.

"It's not good," Addison said finally. Arizona dropped her head. Callie didn't lose eye contact with Addison. They both pretty much expected that. Callie waited for more details and options.

"Why?" Arizona asked quietly. She was still looking down. Her voice was thick and Callie knew she was holding back tears. She'd heard Arizona speak in that tone far too often lately.

"I don't know," Addison truthfully responded. "About 20% of infertility cases are for unknown reasons. I'm sorry."

"You don't know? How can you not know what's wrong with me? You should be able to fix this! You're 'the best baby doc around'," Arizona yelled, mocking Callie. She looked up finally, her cheeks shining with tears. Callie leaned over and whispered something in Arizona's ear. She seemed to calm down a bit, but she was clearly still upset.

"Is there anything we can do?" Callie asked Addison, looking up pleadingly. Addison sort of shrugged, spreading out her hands.

"You could always keep trying. We could give you stronger drugs. But your chances are still low. I am really, really sorry," Addison said again. Callie nodded, looking around, unsure of what to do. Arizona stood and abruptly left the room, slamming the door on her way out. Callie hesitated, but Addison prompted her out of the door. "Go get her. She needs you."

Arizona was in the bathroom down the hall. Callie could tell because the door was locked and she could hear sobs from within. Callie knocked, softly at first, but with growing urgency and strength until finally she was pounding on the door. Finally the door opened. Before Callie could catch a glimpse of the room within, Arizona had thrown herself on Callie, holding her in a vice grip.

Somehow Callie managed to steer Arizona inside. They slid down the cool tile wall onto the floor. Callie tried not to think of how disgusting the floor was she was sitting on, holding Arizona close to her. Arizona cried the hardest she had since they began their adventure, her entire frame shaking against Callie's. Callie hated seeing her like this.

"Let me do it," Callie whispered suddenly. Arizona looked up, confused. She was sniffling and blinking, trying to calm herself.

"What?" she croaked out.

"Let me do it," Callie repeated. "Let me have the baby."

* * *

**_It's so hard when it doesn't come easy  
It's so hard when it doesn't come fast  
It's so hard when it doesn't come easy  
It's so hard_**

**So?? What did you think of the climax?!**


	7. Here

**A much happier chapter inspired by the accurate flashback in the beginning. Enjoy!**

PS--Kristyn and I are going through a "I love the Rascal Flatts stage", so be aware of that. =)

* * *

"_I love this song!" Arizona said. She jumped up from the couch and began to dance to 'Little Pieces' by Gomez. _

"_Me too," Callie agreed. She remained seated, watching Arizona dance, laughing. But Arizona would have none of that. She grabbed Callie's hands and pulled her from the couch, ignoring Callie's protests. _

_It took a little bit, but soon Callie and Arizona were dancing around together, rocking to the music, twisting their bodies around each other. It was their first date, it was fun, it was exhilarating, and it was the happiest Callie had felt in a really long time._

"_Wait," Callie said suddenly. They both slowed their movements. "And. Here. It. Comes." Callie introduced the chorus, which was more upbeat than the rest of the song. The renewed their dancing full-blast laughing and teasing each other with their bodies. _

_When the song ended, they remained standing. Callie's hands were on Arizona's waist. They were breathing heavily from their exercise, but large smiles were on both their faces. Callie felt contentment and joy being pumped from her excited heart, spreading through the rest of her body quickly. 'This is how I want to feel every day for the rest of my life,' Callie thought as she stared into Arizona's sparkling blue eyes. From the kiss she received just then, Callie could have sworn Arizona had read her mind. And had agreed with her. _

**…**

Arizona looked over at Callie with a smile. A real smile. Callie turned her head from the TV screen, eyebrows raised.

"Can I help you with something?" Callie laughed.

"I was just thinking of our first date," Arizona informed her. Callie's eyes had a glassy look for a moment, and then she too smiled.

"You made me get up and dance with you. And I liked it," Callie remembered. "It was the first time I'd been happy in a really long time. You made me really happy. You always do."

"And you make me happy," Arizona admitted. "I can't remember the last time I felt this…content. Happy. I spent a long time being depressed and because of you…" Arizona seemed to not be able to go on. In truth, she didn't have words to describe how Callie made her feel. There was nothing but an indescribable feeling inside her. It felt like her heart was trying to break out and be closer to Callie's. There were only three words that Arizona could say that would make Callie understand, and even those words were not enough. Not like that ever stopped her from saying them to Callie.

"I love you too," Callie said sincerely. "I'm really glad you followed me into the bathroom that day." Arizona laughed and leaned forward to kiss Callie. She ended up scooting over so much on the couch that she was practically on Callie's lap. Neither seemed to mind.

"Calliope Torres, will you get up and dance with me?" Arizona breathed against Callie's open mouth.

"I will always get up and dance with you," Callie responded. "Except when I'm farther along in the pregnancy and all I can manage is a pathetic waddle," she mumbled with a smirk. Arizona laughed, getting up and looking for music.

"You sure do like Rascal Flatts, don't you?" she remarked, digging through Callie's shelf of CD's.

"I always thought Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney were hot," Callie said indifferently, joining her girlfriend at the CD rack. Arizona looked up, a look of shock on her face. "They've got nothing on you though, of course," Callie quickly added, covering up her slip. "Here, play this one. It's perfect." Arizona put the CD in the player without questioning anything.

"This songs hard to dance-out to," Arizona pouted.

"Just wait for it," Callie instructed. Without warning, they hit the chorus. "_I melt every time you look at me that way_," Callie sang along. She was pretty good. Arizona was surprised. She laughed as she danced along with Callie. By the time those lyrics came around again, they were both belting it out. Callie sang the verses to Arizona, who didn't know the words. When the song finished with one last powerful "I melt", Callie rested her forehead against Arizona's.

"You're right. That song was perfect," Arizona whispered.

**…**

Arizona collapsed on the couch, all danced out. Callie plopped down at the other end and Arizona scurried over to lay with her. For a while, they just laid there. Arizona could hear Callie's heart beating from the way she was laying with her head on Callie's chest. Just as she was thinking about how she could lay there all night listening to the beat of Callie's heart, Callie spoke.

"So what are you naming the baby?" she suddenly questioned. This threw Arizona off guard. It took her a minute to remember what Callie was talking about.

"The baby?" she asked, distracted but the lub-dub of Callie's heart.

"Yes. You know, the little human inside of me right now," Callie said, worried. She pointed at her stomach. It was too early to even tell that she was pregnant if you were just looking at her, but Arizona's hand still moved to the spot Callie had indicated.

"Oh…right….Well, I was thinking Natalie for a girl and Noah for a boy," Arizona answered. She looked up at Callie, checking to see if those names were okay. Callie was smiling.

"I like it," she said. Arizona let out a sigh of relief. "You know, I was thinking earlier…this is probably the only situation where I have the opportunity to say that I'm having my girlfriend's kid." They both laughed.

"Yeah…just promise me you'll always be my girlfriend. I need to know that you're not going to leave me one day," Arizona stated very seriously. She turned onto her stomach so she could look directly into Callie's dark eyes.

"Of course I won't leave you. Are you kidding? I've finally found something that makes all the shit I've ever been through worthwhile. I'm the one who should be worried about being left alone," Callie responded.

"Callie, I will never, ever leave you or even think about it. For two reasons: one, my baby is inside of you, two, I love you so much it hurts sometimes." Arizona sealed their deal with a lingering kiss, one that made both of them hungry for more.

* * *

_**And I wouldn't change a thing,  
I'd walk right back through the rain,  
Back to every broken heart on the day that it was breaking,  
And I'd relive all the years,  
And be thankful for the tears,  
I cried with every stumbled step,  
That lead to you,  
And got me here,  
Right here.**_

**_So, boy or girl? First one to comment gets to be godparent and gets to decide the sex!_**


	8. Not Ready to Make Nice Part 1

**Warning: This is a part-one, so it sorta just ends. Enjoy!**

* * *

At first, Callie didn't hear the knocking. But then it grew more persistent and she became aware of it over the sound of the water rushing from the faucet. She exited the bathroom, walking slowly, lazily towards the front door, her toothbrush still doing its job in her mouth.

"I'll get it!" She somehow managed to call to Arizona without spitting a single drop of toothpaste onto her light blue tank top. She answered the door, not really caring that she was still in her pajamas with her hair pulled back and her toothbrush in her mouth.

She pulled open the door, revealing the two people she had expected the least to see. She stood stock-still, eyes widened, toothbrush forgotten and hanging from her lips dangerously. She went temporarily brain dead, staring at the people in front of her. She didn't snap out of it until some of the mint-flavored toothpaste had found its way down her throat.

"Who is it?" Arizona asked curiously, coming down the hall, tying her lavender bathrobe around her small frame. Callie, who was trying not to choke, backed away from the door so Arizona could see who it was. "Oh," she said simply. To anyone else, Arizona's tone would have seemed normal, with nothing hidden behind it. But to Callie, who had grown to love the sound of Arizona's voice, detected a trace of frost in her voice; just barely there but still bitter cold. "Hello. Why don't you come in?"

"Thank you," Mr. Torres said, stepping over the threshold and into Callie and Arizona's apartment. Mrs. Torres followed in his wake, looking a little uncomfortable.

"You caught us at a bad time," Arizona explained with false regret. Callie remained frozen with shock. "We were just getting ready for work."

"Yes, I apologize for the sudden appearance. We were going to call but thought it'd be better to surprise you," Mr. Torres replied. Though he was having the conversation with Arizona, he was looking directly at Callie.

"I have to go throw up," Callie muttered so quietly that only Arizona could hear her. She turned and half-ran down the hall. She heard Arizona apologize and say something about going to get dressed, and then Arizona was behind her as she paced the bedroom, her mouth now toothpaste- and -brush-free.

"¡Maldición! No puedo creerlo, ese hijo de puta, now of all times…¿por qué tenía que aparecer? ¿Qué se supone que voy a hacer? Actuar como todo es normal, al igual que él..." Callie was on her Spanglish rant, the one she always went on when she was really upset. From what Arizona had picked up on over their time together, she knew that it was pretty vulgar, even for Callie.

"Hey…hey, come on Cal, calm down," Arizona said comfortingly. She bravely stepped in front of Callie, blocking her on her warpath. Arizona held onto Callie's shoulders to make her look directly at her. "It's okay, calm down."

"Why did he have to do this? He makes everyone in the family ignore me for God knows how long, and then suddenly he just shows up on our doorstep? And now? Of all times?" Callie cried, her hand going sub-consciously to her stomach, which was finally beginning to show that she was pregnant. Her eyes were shining and she had the same look on her face as when her father had disowned her in the first place, the look just before she collapsed into tears in Arizona's shoulder.

"I don't know," Arizona answered truthfully. "Maybe they miss you and want their daughter back? Maybe they found out and they came to give support…"

"How would they find…Oh, shit," Callie exclaimed quietly so her parents wouldn't hear. "My sister. On Facebook. She's the only one in the family who didn't de-friend me, although she may as well have."

"Come on, let's get dressed and go find out why they're here," Arizona suggested after a lengthy pause.

Five minutes later Callie and Arizona entered the living room, fully ready to go to work, all traces of tears left behind them in the bedroom. Mrs. Torres was sitting awkwardly on the edge of the couch. Mr. Torres was standing beside her, hands in his pockets. Arizona smiled brightly when entering the room, but Callie merely scowled at her parents, arms folded across her chest.

"You know, don't you? That's why you came out to Seattle?" Callie accused immediately.

"Yes," her father answered. Callie nodded, sucking on her upper lip.

"Well? What do you want? To convince me not to have the baby? It's too late for that," Callie said angrily.

"No," was her father's short reply. He sure was a man of few words. Somehow that had always made him seem so intimidating. "We came out to apologize."

Whatever Callie had expected, it was not that. Her jaw dropped for a moment, but she quickly recovered and fixed her father with a blank stare, waiting for more. Arizona seemed a little uncomfortable standing beside her. Callie's parents had yet to acknowledge her existence.

"Calliope," Mrs. Torres said unexpectedly. She stood from the couch and took a few steps towards her daughter. "Please. Your father made a hasty judgment and the rest of us were too quick to agree."

"It took you this long to realize that?" Callie asked suspiciously. Her mother seemed at a loss for words.

"The fact that you and…Arizona…have lasted so long proves that I was very wrong. My daughter is happy and that is all that matters to me. I came back to apologize and to give you back your trust fund," her father interjected. Callie was silent for a moment.

"What about your approval? Your respect? Do I have that too, are you giving that to me too?" she questioned. She sounded bitter when she said it, but she was truly hopeful.

"Of course," Mrs. Torres interrupted when Callie's father remained silent.

"No offense Mom, but I was asking Daddy," Callie said coolly, staring at her father. Finally he nodded.

"Alright. Yes. It's yours. Whatever you want, as long as I get my Calliope back," he responded, somewhat reluctantly.

"You'll have me back when you actually mean it," Callie replied icily. She grabbed Arizona's hand and pulled her from the room, out the door and to the car.

"Callie…" Arizona began.

"Don't," Callie cut her off, her voice thick, like she was holding back tears, trying to suppress her true emotions. "Please don't start."

"Running out probably wasn't the best thing to do," Arizona continued.

"I don't care!" Callie yelled suddenly. Arizona jumped in surprise. Callie was now driving over the speed limit, her eyes nearly blinded by tears she was still half-heartedly trying to prevent from falling. "I don't care. He can't just come back and buy me off like he does everyone else! He's my father, Arizona, my father! He's supposed to support me and respect me, and if he can't do that, then I don't want any part of him!"

Arizona placed her delicately hand on Callie's knee. Callie, who was so tense, flinched and jerked the wheel sharply to the right. Thankfully she recovered before any real damage happened. Defeated, Callie pulled the car over, sinking back in her seat and allowing her emotions to take over. Arizona unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed as close to Callie as she could get, hugging Callie the best she could.

"He's my father damn it," Callie repeated in a sad whisper.

* * *

**_Forgive, sounds good  
Forget, I'm not sure I could  
They say time heals everything  
But I'm still waiting_**

I'm through with doubt  
There's nothing left for me to figure out  
I've paid a price  
And I'll keep paying

**Please review for me!!!**


	9. Not Ready to Make Nice Part 2

**I know, this is like chapter overload. It hasn't even been 24-hours yet. But I've had this written for hours now and I wanted to post it because it is part 2 of the previous. **

**Also, Kristyn the Kid posted the third chapter of her fic "How Strong Are You Now?" last night. Go check it out, it's some awesome Callizona. =D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It took pretty much all day, but Arizona eventually managed to persuade Callie to call her parents.

"They just don't understand Callie, this is new to them. Give them a chance to see," Arizona said. Callie sighed.

"Fine. But I am _not_ talking to my father. I'll call Mom at lunch," Callie agreed reluctantly. Arizona smiled brightly. In truth, the last thing she wanted to do was to spend time with Callie's family, but she knew it was the right thing to do. So she pushed Callie into asking them out to dinner.

When lunchtime rolled around, Callie and Arizona met in the lobby instead of the cafeteria. Expecting a confrontation, they decided to take the conversation outside so it would be more private. Callie's hand shook as she dialed the number that lay forgotten in her phone, unused for such a long time. Arizona's hand was placed comfortingly on Callie's arm as they both sat down on a slightly damp bench.

"Hi Mom," Callie said quietly after her mother picked up the phone. "I know, I shouldn't have run out this morning….You don't have to be worried, I'm at work with Arizona….Yeah, I'm fine….I just needed to leave before I did something I would regret." _Like crying in front of Dad,_ she thought, though she decided to leave that out of the conversation. "I think it's fair to give you and Daddy a chance to explain….Arizona and I were wondering if you'd like to meet us for dinner tonight?...Yeah, that'd be great….Okay, see you then…Bye." Callie hung up the phone and turned to look at her supportive girlfriend. "I hate you," she pouted, letting her head fall onto Arizona's shoulder.

"You did the right thing Callie," Arizona reminded her, hoping it would make her feel better. It didn't.

"I know, but why does the right thing always feel so…wrong? I feel like I did when I decided not to lie to them and tell them we broke up. I feel that awful, even though I know it's right," Callie confessed with a heavy sigh.

"I know. Things will get better Callie, I promise. And just think—they'll be gone soon anyway, back in the opposite corner of the country." Callie turned her head so that her face was deeply buried in Arizona's white lab coat. At that precise moment, it began to rain.

…

"I still can't believe you talked me in to this," Callie said from the passenger seat. After their dangerous ride to work that morning, Arizona had decided that she would drive until Callie's parents had left Seattle.

"I didn't talk you into doing anything," Arizona argued. "You agreed with me when I said it was what you should do. I did absolutely nothing."

"But you know I can't resist your charm." They both laughed at the old joke that was still true so many months later. As they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Callie let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Arizona put her hand on the back of Callie's neck, causing Callie to look directly into her eyes.

"We can do this Cal. I promise you, we will survive this. Together," she added with a smile. Callie took a few deep breaths, and then nodded at Arizona. Arizona gave a short nod back and withdrew her hand, allowing both of them to step out of the car.

"Remind me to show you later just how much I love you," Callie whispered.

"How much is that?" Arizona asked curiously. Callie shook her head.

"I have to show you; words don't even begin to describe it," Callie said. They entered the restaurant hand-in-hand, Callie looking terrified and Arizona looking very happy.

Mr. and Mrs. Torres were waiting for them in the lobby. They were wearing the same expensive outfits they had been wearing when they arrived that morning. Her father, as always, looked powerful and scary, and her mother, as always, looked uncomfortable.

"Hello," Callie greeted somewhat stiffly. Everyone else exchanged pleasantries before falling silent once more. Although the restaurant was packed with people waiting for tables, they were seated immediately. Callie figured this had something to do with her father's checkbook.

"So…how long have you two been living together?" Mrs. Torres asked, trying to get a conversation started.

"Since not long after Daddy's visit….I couldn't afford my rent anymore," Callie explained shamefully. She diverted her eyes, looking anywhere but at the people seated across from her. Arizona's hand was still in hers under the table.

"I was wrong to do that," Callie's father's voice said. This made Callie look up at him very quickly. She had never once in her life heard her father admit to being wrong about something, even if he was. He seemed embarrassed by his confession and was not looking at Callie.

"How come it took so long for you to figure that out though? Why did you wait until now to apologize?" Callie's voice grew louder with every word she spoke, starting at a barely audible whisper and going to up to a quiet yell that made people at surrounding tables stare. Arizona gave Callie's hand a squeeze. Both of Callie's parents were silent. "You were hoping it wouldn't last…weren't you?"

"I am not proud," her father began. Callie cut him off.

"You were hoping my relationship would fail! And what, now that I'm pregnant you realized that this is serious and you came out to make amends?" Callie's voice was growing loud again.

"Yes," her mother answered simply. Callie made a helpless noise, disbelief taking over all of her features.

"I've been pregnant for months," Callie pointed out. Everyone was silent. "I…I really can't believe you two. The answer is 'no'. I don't forgive you for what you…not until you're sincere at least. When you can acknowledge the fact that I am madly in love with a wonderful woman, then maybe we'll talk."

"I am being sincere!" Callie's father said loudly, a hint of anger and frustration in his voice.

"Dad, I've known you all my life. I know the difference between you being true and you trying to pay someone off. It's not going to work on me. Keep your money," Callie snapped, getting up from the table. "I think we're done here."

Arizona hastily followed Callie without once looking back at the table they were leaving. She hurried after Callie, who was walking very quickly, and tried to beat her to the car. She lost, however, and Callie's hand was already on the driver's side door by the time Arizona got there.

"Callie, come on, you can't drive like this. Remember this morning?" Arizona called worriedly. Callie rolled her eyes and walked around to the passenger side of the car. Arizona sighed in relief. Callie was in a bitter mood and didn't talk the entire ride home. Arizona tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. Finally, when it was two hours later and Callie had still not said a word, Arizona took action.

She went and sat on Callie's lap. No reaction. She grabbed the front of Callie's shirt and kissed her deeply. Callie's eyes looked up into Arizona's but not much else happened. Arizona sighed.

"When I was really depressed, you were always there for me. You kept me going all day. I'm not sure what to do right now, but I'm going to do everything I think of to be here for you, to see you smile again," Arizona informed her truthfully. Callie blinked.

"I think I owe you something," she said absent-mindedly, leaning forward to kiss Arizona again. When Arizona pulled away for air, she noticed that her cheeks were wet, but the tears were not hers.

* * *

**_I'm not ready to make nice  
I'm not ready to back down  
I'm still mad as hell and  
I don't have time to go round and round and round  
It's too late to make it right  
I probably wouldn't if I could  
'Cause I'm mad as hell  
Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should_**

**Seriously, go read Kristyn's fic. And also, pleasepleaseplease review if you are reading this? I get a lot of ideas from what you guys say, cuz seriously I'm making most of this up as I go. **


	10. Take My Breath Away

**I don't know what I said last chapter, but I checked my e-mail and had like 6 reviews at once. That is awesome. Maybe something about rebelling against parents....Anyways, thanks!**

**And thanks to my big sister Meredith ;) Always there for me. Go read her fics. You may know her better as Kristyn the Kid. **

**And I had a major meltdown when writing this chapter. I hated it. It's just a fluffy filler because I don't want to end this yet.**

**And, finally, I apologize for this being shorter than usual.**

* * *

"Hey Arizona, check it out," Callie called. She pulled her hands away from the popcorn bowl, balancing it on her pregnant stomach just as Arizona came out of the kitchen with a bottle of water in her hand. She laughed, mostly at Callie's thrilled expression. "This is awesome! I should have gotten pregnant sooner!"

"So what movie are we watching tonight?" Arizona asked, kneeling in front of the bookcase full of DVDs, an odd compilation ranging from kids movies to romance movies to horror movies. Callie squinted, trying to read the titles from her position on the couch.

"Ooh, let's watch Top Gun. I haven't seen that in so long," Callie said excitedly.

"Huh." Arizona flipped over the DVD case, reading the back cover. "I don't think I've ever seen this…."

"Are you serious? Well now we're definitely watching it. It's amazing!" Callie informed her. Arizona shrugged and put it in the DVD player, making sure to adjust the volume on the TV so they wouldn't be blasted out of the room.

…

Arizona sat with her head cocked to the side. Callie glanced over, confused when saw the thoughtful look on Arizona's face. She raised her eyebrows. Arizona felt Callie's eyes on her.

"You know…I've been gay nearly all my life, and even I think that Tom Cruise looks hot in this movie," Arizona explained without turning away from the TV screen. Callie laughed.

"You think he looks good now, just wait. There's one scene where he's in nothing but a towel and another where he's in his underwear," Callie said. Now it was Arizona's turn to laugh.

"You're such a newborn," she joked. Callie's cheeks flushed bright pink.

"I am not a newborn! I've been on…this side…about two years now," Callie defended herself. Arizona giggled at the way Callie had worded her sentence.

"But you've only ever been with two women," Arizona teased playfully.

"I can't help I found the perfect one early on," Callie mumbled. Arizona's grin melted off her face.

"Damn it, why do you have to say things like that?" Arizona asked rhetorically, leaning forward to kiss Callie. Callie quickly moved the popcorn bowl to the coffee table before its contents met the floor. At first the kiss was awkward with Callie's pregnant belly in the way, but Arizona simply squeezed in beside Callie and the back of the couch so she could better reach her lips.

Soon Top Gun was forgotten, still playing on their television, the light from which lit up the room with a blue-ish tint. Both women were too absorbed in each other to notice that Tom Cruise was getting laid while 'Take My Breath Away' played for the hundredth time.

"Jeez, do you have any idea what you do to me?" Callie gasped, trying to catch her breath. Arizona giggled.

"I think so. I mean, you did offer to have my baby for me," Arizona pointed out. "Did I ever thank you for that?"

"Once or twice," Callie said. A complete understatement. Arizona shook her head disapprovingly.

"That's not enough," she whispered. Callie swallowed, excitement pulsing through her veins faster than the blood that carried it.

…

"That was a very good movie," Arizona said seriously, trying to sit up. Her left hand was completely numb from they way she'd been laying beside Callie, and it tingled painfully. She tried to shake off the odd sensation.

"It's one of my favorites…or, it was. I don't think it will ever be the same for me again," Callie laughed.

"I'm sorry," Arizona pouted. Callie kissed her bottom lip sweetly.

"Don't be. I like this ending way better," Callie whispered, emphasizing the word 'way'. Arizona smiled, making Callie nearly forget her name.

"Oh," Callie gasped suddenly. Arizona backed away worriedly.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, fear in her eyes. Callie's hand left Arizona's back and held on to her bulging stomach.

"I think the baby just kicked," Callie explained, a smile forming on her face. Arizona's face lit up. Callie propped herself up against the arm of the couch as Arizona scooted down so that she lay on her stomach between Callie's legs, her face level with Callie's belly. She wrapped her arms around Callie's waist, holding herself up on her elbows.

"Hey honey," Arizona whispered sweetly to the baby. She traced lazy shapes on Callie's stomach as she talked with one fingernail. Callie tried to suppress the shivers that were sent up her spine. "Hi. Are you okay in there? Yeah, I thought you were. We're okay out here too. We've been waiting for you for a while now. You have to stay in there for a little while more, but you're being very well taken care of, I promise. We can't wait to meet you….Love you." Arizona kissed the thin fabric of Callie's tee-shirt before looking up at Callie's beautiful, smiling face. One of Callie's hands was absently playing with one of Arizona's blonde curls; the other was slowly rubbing her back.

"You are going to be an amazing mother," she said quietly to Arizona. Arizona returned the adoring look she'd just received.

"So will you. I can never thank you enough for what you have done for me, and for what you continue to do for me. I could say it a thousand times a day every day for the rest of my life and it still will never be enough."

"You could always show me," Callie suggested after pretending to ponder the problem for a moment. Arizona laughed.

"Even that wouldn't be enough to express to you how I feel. I can't explain it, I just…" Arizona trailed off, at a loss for words. Callie leaned forward the best she could to whisper in Arizona's ear.

"I know how you feel Arizona, because I feel the exact same way about you." Arizona giggled, rubbing her ear.

"Hey, that tickles!" she accused through laughter.

"So?" Callie asked innocently, smiling at Arizona's reaction.

* * *

**_Watching I keep waiting still anticipating love  
Never hesitating to become the fated ones  
Turning and returning to some secret place to hide  
Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say  
Take my breath away  
_**

**Anyways, so keep reviewing. Please. Yell at me for how sucky this chatper was, I deserve it. **


	11. All That I Am

**Here ya go. I had another minor artistic meltdown putting together this one too. I swear, fan fiction will be the death of me hahah. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Everything looks great. It should be any day now Callie," Addison informed her patient, rising from her rolling stool and tossing some garbage into the trash bin. Arizona beamed at Callie, who in turn, gripped Arizona's hand. "You have had one hell of an easy pregnancy. No complications, not even morning sickness. You're making my job too easy."

"That's because I'm having an angel's child," Callie whispered so that only Arizona could hear. Arizona blushed deeply, smiling. Out loud Callie said, "That's how I roll, son," with a mock-gangster accent, causing both Addison and Arizona to laugh.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you two in a few days, then," Addison said, heading to the door of the exam room.

"Yep," Arizona replied brightly. "Hopefully we'll get to see you before then though! I can't believe the Chief is giving you work to do while you're visiting. This is supposed to be a sort of vacation for you…sort of."

"That's okay. I need something to keep me busy, since Callie sure isn't, and besides…I'm getting paid." Addison winked and left to check on other patients.

"I really do like her," Arizona commented, still chuckling, after the door swung shut. Callie hopped down from the exam table.

"Oh do you?" she teased, feigning being hurt. Arizona slapped her arm playfully, laughing, and then gave her a sweet kiss to show who her one true love really was.

…

"Hey, Arizona?" Callie called from her position on the couch. Arizona came out of the kitchen, where she had been attempting to make dinner. Mostly they ate just microwave meals and take-out since Callie had become 'handicapped' by the pregnancy. Callie always swore she'd teach Arizona how to cook one day. Arizona wiped her hands on the back of her jeans.

"Yeah babe?"

"I think we should go to the hospital," Callie said calmly. Arizona was still too far away to see Callie clearly.

"Why's that?" she asked, not thinking very clearly. Finally she drew level with the couch and her jaw dropped and her eyes doubled in size.

"Well," Callie began slowly, turning her head so that she could see Arizona. "Maybe because my water just broke."

…

"What's up Doc?" Callie greeted Addison. She was lying in a patient bed, looking so unlike Callie it was almost laughable. First of all, she was drugged. Arizona was having a hard time suppressing her giggles at some of the things Callie was saying, 'What's up Doc?' being one of them. Another thing was that Callie was dressed in a gown, lying in a patient bed. It's rare to see a surgeon in that position and it always looked unnatural.

"Oh, the usual. How about you?" Addison joked back.

"Not good," Callie said seriously. "I think my stomach is trying to explode. Can you help with that?"

"I think so, but I'm going to need you to push, okay?" Addison instructed.

"Push what?" Callie asked. At this, Arizona turned her head to let out a short burst of laughter, but quickly composed herself so she could help Callie.

"Come on Callie, you're going to have the baby. You have to push it out, okay? Then the pain will go away," Arizona coached Callie, holding onto her hand.

"You're doing great Callie, almost there," Addison stated a few minutes later. Arizona was leaning towards Callie, holding her hand tightly and whispering things like 'Breathe', 'Push', and 'Good job Calliope'.

It took only a few minutes for Arizona to realize that something was not right. Addison had stopped complimenting and instructing Callie and the nurses and other doctors began to move with a quicker pace. Arizona tried for eye contact with someone, anyone, but they were all too busy to notice. Trying not to panic, she turned back to Callie, whispering words of comfort and support, but her ears were perked up, listening intently to every word from Addison's mouth.

"She won't stop bleeding, I think she's hemorrhaging….I'm going to get the baby out….Get an O.R. open, now!" Addison was saying to the scrubbed people surrounding her.

"What's going on?" Callie asked, slightly dazed. She was breathing heavily and sweat had formed like a fine mist on her face, neck, and chest.

"Nothing, nothing, I promise," Arizona said reassuringly, squeezing Callie's hand. Arizona locked eyes with Callie, trying to convey all of her love and devotion to Callie in that one simple look. They were so focused on each other that they didn't notice the baby had been delivered until the sound of crying and wailing filled the room.

"Get the baby cleaned up, I'm taking her to the O.R.," Addison said, handing the baby off an intern. Others began to wheel away Callie's bed.

"Addison, wait!" Arizona reached for the baby doctor's arm. Addison looked annoyed and scared when she turned around to face Arizona. "What's going on?"

"She's hemorrhaging, and losing way more blood than is recommended. If I don't operate soon, she will _die_ Arizona, and I am not going to let that happen, so will you please move out of my way!" Addison yelled, pushing Arizona aside and hurrying after Callie.

…

Arizona paced the hallway outside the O.R. restlessly. She had tried to scrub in, but Addison wouldn't let her, saying that she'd be in the way. Knowing that trying to argue could cost Callie her life, Arizona had decided to shut up. Now she stopped pacing, standing with one had pressed flat against the O.R. doors. It wasn't fair that Callie was in there. It wasn't fair that Callie was fighting for her life for Arizona. She couldn't get the feeling of 'It should be me' out of her head and hoped the fight was going well.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, days, Addison pushed open the doors to the O.R., making Arizona jump backwards. She quickly wiped a few tears from her face. Addison looked thoroughly exhausted as she stepped into the corridor, removing her facemask. Arizona looked at her pleadingly, praying for good news.

"She's stabilized. I managed to perform a blood transfusion in time and stopped the bleeding. I'm not sure what caused it. We can run some tests later, but right now Callie needs rest."

"Is she awake?" Arizona asked, thoroughly relieved to hear that Callie was okay. Addison shook her head. "And the baby?"

"I don't know, I've been in the O.R. I'm sure she's fine. She seemed perfectly healthy when she came out," Addison said reassuringly. Arizona sighed, thankful that everything had turned out okay.

"Wait…'she'?" Arizona repeated after running though what Addison had said in her mind. Addison smiled, nodding.

"Would you like to go see her?" Addison offered. Arizona glanced nervously at the O.R. doors. She didn't look away until Addison placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Callie's fine. They're going to move her to a room and we're going to keep her a few nights to monitor this. But I'm sure she'll be just fine."

A few more minutes of staring at the O.R. longingly, wishing to be inside with its occupant, a few more minutes of allowing the feeling of fear that had taken over ever molecule of her being to melt away, a few more minutes of thinking about how Arizona and Callie now had a baby girl together, and Arizona was ready.

"Okay," Arizona whispered eventually. She turned to Addison. "Let me see my daughter."

* * *

**_I am the white dove for a soldier  
Ever marching as to war  
I would give my life to save you  
I stand guarding at your door  
I give you all that I am_**

**So, this chapter was kinda weird. Not sure if I like it. It's got a lot going on and it moves very quickly =/ Please review and let me know what you think of it. **


	12. What A Wonderful World

**So, I stayed up last night because I wanted to finish this and post it for you. The website didn't like that idea. Technical difficulties arose and I went to bed before my fist went through the computer screen. =D**

**Anyways, it's working now, so enjoy. **

**PS--Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and also to KtK, who saved Callizona. Sorta. **

* * *

Arizona pressed her hands up against the protective glass in the baby ward of the hospital. So many infants wrapped in pink and blue blankets slept soundly, waiting for their mother and father to take them home. They all looked so innocent, so peaceful. She looked around her at the doctors hurrying through the halls, wondering how many of the babies before her would become one of them.

"Arizona?" Addison said softly. Arizona held her breath. She didn't move for a moment. This was it. She was about to see her baby girl for the first time. Slowly she turned to her right where Addison stood holding a small pink bundle. Arizona's breath caught in her chest.

She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. She was sleeping soundly, nestled against the warmth of her blanket. As Arizona looked down at her, she made a quiet gurgling noise, twisting her body, turning her head to the other side. Addison held out her arms to Arizona, offering her the baby. Arizona accepted eagerly.

As she entered Arizona's comforting arms, the baby stirred. Her eyes tiredly pried themselves open, looking at who had intruded upon her sleep. She had sparkling blue eyes, just like Arizona. With this realization, Arizona found she had lost her voice altogether and could do nothing but smile brightly at the baby while gently rocking her back to sleep.

…

Callie's eyes opened slowly. There was something obstructing her view, something very close to her face. Gold. Blue. Warm. What was it? Blinking several times to clear her vision, Callie happily realized that it was Arizona, with her blonde curls and light blue eyes. Arizona was beaming at Callie. _What's she so happy about?_ Callie wondered vaguely. _Oh, wait. Arizona's always happy like that._

Callie tried to push herself up into a more comfortable sitting position. Arizona leaned back, allowing Callie to prop herself against the pillows. Arizona was kneeling on Callie's hospital bed, one knee on each side of Callie's right leg. It took a moment for Callie to realize that Arizona was holding something. A small pink something.

"Calliope," Arizona whispered excitedly. "This is Natalie. Our baby girl."

Those three words got stuck in Callie's ears, taking a few minutes longer than usual to make it to her brain. _Our baby girl_. She liked the sound of that. She liked it very much actually, especially coming from Arizona's mouth. Callie smiled, her eyes wide. Arizona mimicked Addison, offering the baby to Callie.

She was a little reluctant to allow the warm package to pass from her arms to Callie's. Already she missed the feel of it, how the baby fit so well into her arm, like a missing puzzle piece found after years of searching. Finally Arizona felt right, complete. And there was no one she wanted to share the moment with than Callie Torres, the one who had found the missing piece in the end.

"She looks just like you," Callie observed, her voice barely a whisper. Natalie smiled up at her, her light eyes shining. There was hardly any hair on her head, but what was there was very light, almost transparent looking against her peach colored skin.

"Yeah, she does," Arizona agreed. She sat back on her feet, watching Callie with the baby with adoration in her eyes.

"Natalie?" Callie asked softly.

"Natalie Louise," Arizona confirmed. Callie beamed at the baby.

"Well Miss Robbins," Callie said, addressing the child in her arms. Arizona's chest swelled. "Welcome to the world."

…

"So, what happened to me?" Callie asked quietly. Arizona was lying beside her in the hospital bed, Natalie once again sleeping in Arizona's arms. Arizona's eyes grew serious and she looked tearful.

"Addison said you were hemorrhaging. You sure were losing blood like mad. You could have died Callie, and it would have been all my fault." Arizona's voice cracked halfway through her explanation, fear and realization of the situation hitting her hard and fast.

"Shhh, I'm here now, right? I'm fine, so, so fine with you and Natalie here with me. I would never leave you like that, Arizona, didn't I promise you that?" Callie assured her, wiping away the few tears that had leaked from Arizona's eyes. Arizona moved close to Callie, hugging her while still holding the baby between them.

"I know," Arizona breathed. The scent that she had come to know and love as Callie filled her and calmed her down. "I was just so scared that I'd lose you forever and that it would be because of me. I love you so much Callie."

"I love you too Arizona. You're not getting rid of me that easily, get over it," Callie joked, trying to make Arizona laugh.

"I don't want to ever get rid of you," Arizona responded into Callie's neck, no trace of a chuckle in her voice. Callie grabbed Arizona's arms (a difficult feat considering their position and the fact that one arm was cradling a baby) and pulled her away so that she could look dead into Arizona's eyes, which were still glistening.

"I will live in a _bubble _if that's what it takes to convince you that I'm okay. I'm going to be fine because I love you and I love Natalie and I plan on being here for both of you for a very, very long time," Callie said firmly. Arizona took a deep, grateful breath.

"Thank you Callie. We love you very much." Arizona smiled bravely, lifting Natalie up towards Callie. Callie laughed, and then turned her attention to the baby, who was now awake, and began making silly noises and faces, tickling the baby.

"You're going to make a great mother," Arizona commented, finally getting her composure back almost one hundred percent.

"Psh, are you kidding? I'm just the surrogate; this is your kid," Callie teased. For a moment, Arizona's jaw dropped, but then she started to laugh, catching on to Callie's expression. "You're going to be a really great mother too," she added seriously.

"Thank you," Arizona whispered, leaning forward to kiss Callie softly. Natalie made a happy gurgling sound from between them.

* * *

**_I hear babies cry, I watch them grow  
They'll learn much more than I'll never know  
And I think to myself what a wonderful world_**

**So keep up with the awesome reviews =) I'll be back with a new chapter probably tomorrow haha  
**


	13. Cradlesong

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys =) **

**This chapter was originally going to be the last one, but KtK said "the hell it is" and so, more will come. Enjoy!**

* * *

Addison left three days after Callie's delivery, declaring her fit enough to go home. She did not, however, get to leave before being made Natalie's godmother. It was Arizona's idea, but Callie was behind it one hundred and ten percent.

"Are you sure? I mean, you have other friends here…" Addison responded to the request.

"But we want you," Arizona insisted. "You came all the way out here just for this baby. You deserve it."

"Well then, of course I will. Thank you," Addison said, smiling.

And since Arizona had picked the godmother, Callie suggested the godfather. Her choice made her uncomfortable, but she knew it was the right thing to do. After all, if it hadn't been for him, Natalie would never have been born and Callie and Arizona would probably have broken up.

"You want me to…what?" was George's response to the request. He seemed as uncomfortable as Callie felt, and also confused.

"I know, it's weird, I know that, but if it weren't for you, none of this would ever have happened. Please George?" Callie asked. George sighed, and then smiled.

"Sure, why not? Thanks Callie," he said.

"No, thank you," Callie replied, giving George a friendly hug. She knew things between them would always be awkward, but in a way she still loved him and she wanted to move past what had happened between them. After all, if it hadn't happened, Callie would never have had an opportunity to be with Arizona.

…

"Hey," Arizona greeted as she closed the door to the apartment. There was no response. She looked around, panic rising with every step. Finally she made it to the bedroom. Callie was sitting up on the bed; Natalie was in her arms, fast asleep. Callie was on the phone.

Arizona walked around the bed, stealing Callie's almost empty can of Pepsi. Callie glared up at her but didn't say anything. She was listening intently to what the person on the other end of the phone call was saying. Arizona lay down next to her and waited.

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll talk to Arizona about it and call you back. Definitely," Callie said into the phone.

"Talk to Arizona about what?" Arizona asked, taking the last sip of Pepsi and staring at Callie with innocent eyes.

"I'm going to talk to Arizona about stealing things that don't belong to her," Callie replied matter-of-factly. She stood and shifted Natalie's weight to her other side.

"Arizona says it won't happen again. Seriously now," Arizona said. Callie put Natalie in her crib and rolled her shoulders before answering.

"Cristina's moving in with Owen," Callie finally answered. Arizona waited for a moment, but Callie didn't speak again.

"And…?"

"And she offered us her apartment. It's a little bigger than what we have now. And it's a two bedroom, so Natalie will have her own room," Callie continued. She sat down on the bed again next to Arizona.

"How much?" Arizona asked. She definitely liked the idea of a two bedroom. She knew that they could deal with having the baby in the same room as them for now, but pretty soon all three of them would need space.

"Not much more than what we're paying now. I told Cristina that I'd ask you first, but honestly, it's a great deal." Callie bit her lip, waiting for Arizona's response.

"That is a great deal," Arizona agreed. Callie sighed with relief inwardly.

"So how was work?" she questioned with a gloating smile

"Ugh, shut up!" Arizona replied, grabbing a pillow and hitting Callie with it. Callie just laughed; she loved to tease Arizona about being out on maternity leave and being able to relax at home all day.

"Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat," Callie offered, still laughing.

"Yes please!" Arizona said eagerly, bounding off the bed and down the hall. Callie followed, pausing in the doorway to check on Natalie, who was still sleeping soundly.

"I always forget how crappy the food is at the hospital until I come home," Arizona commented 10 minutes later.

"It's just a sandwich Arizona. It's not that hard. I'm sure even you could do it," Callie pointed out, laughing. Arizona rolled her eyes, hungrily taking another bite. Halfway through chewing, the sound of Natalie's cries reached their ears. Callie automatically stood up, but Arizona put a hand on her arm.

"No, you get to play Mommy all day while I'm at work. It's my turn now," she explained, swallowing what was in her mouth and standing up. Callie shrugged and sat back down.

"Hey baby," Arizona said sweetly to Natalie. She lifted the baby from her crib and rocked her back and forth. Within a minute or so the crying stopped. "Aw, you're okay honey. You're okay." She sat down with Natalie on a chair shoved into the corner of the bedroom. "I'll sing you back to sleep, okay? What do you want to hear tonight? Any favorites?" The baby, of course, didn't answer, so Arizona took a minute to think about it. "Well, guess what kiddo? I've had this one stuck in my head since I heard it on the radio this morning, so now you get to hear it too! But I don't remember beginning. Sorry."

"_Well open up your mind and see like me, open up your plans and then you're free, open up your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love. Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing. We're just one big family, and it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, so I won't hesitate no more, no more. It cannot wait, I'm sure. There's no need to complicate; our time is short. This is our fate. I'm yours," _Arizona sang softly and slowly. By the time she'd finished, Natalie was sleeping again. Very slowly, Arizona stood and placed the baby back in her crib.

"Goodnight," she whispered. "I love you."

"How come you never sing me to sleep?" a voice behind her asked. Arizona jumped, just barely preventing herself from screaming. She turned to look at Callie, one hand placed on her chest.

"Jeez Cal, I didn't know you were there," she gasped. Callie grinned.

"You have a beautiful voice," she complimented. Arizona took her hand off her chest, her pulse slowing back to normal. She kissed Callie in thanks. Callie pulled her back when she broke the connection.

* * *

**_The world can be so cruel  
But I will sing for you  
This cradle song  
All night long_**

**I have had that Arizona/Natalie scene planned forever! But I just picked the song about 15 minutes ago haha.**


	14. Angels Part 1

**Sorry it's been a while. I had surgery last week and then I spent the weekend in CT. Just got home last night and I expect to be writing my fingers off over the next few days because I am now BURSTING with ideas =)**

**About the song title: I couldn't really think of anything, so I settled on this one. Ahh-mazing song.**

* * *

"That's awesome! I can't wait to see you, it's been so long! Yeah, definitely. I'll go talk to Callie and we'll figure something out. Aw, I'm so excited. I love you too. Bye," Arizona said into her cell phone. Almost giddy, she hung up the phone, slipped it into the pocket of her jeans, and bounced down the hallway in search of Callie.

"Damn it!" she heard Callie shout from the kitchen. Confused and a little worried, Arizona hurried into the room where the noise had come from. Callie was standing, holding her laptop in her left hand. She placed it behind her on the counter where it couldn't be ruined by the coffee that had been spilled all over the table.

"What happened?" Arizona asked, grabbing a few paper towels and cleaning up the mess. Callie seemed to be at a loss for words. She leaned up against the counter, her hands gripping the edge so tightly that her knuckles were losing color. Arizona looked up at her, now very worried. "Callie? What's wrong?"

Callie took a deep, shaky breath and gestured towards the computer. Arizona saw no damage to it and couldn't understand why Callie was so upset until she read what was on the screen. Callie had been on Facebook. The notification window was popped up, informing them that Aria Torres had posted on Callie's wall.

"What did she say?" Arizona wondered. Callie shrugged. She was very pale and looked like she was about to be sick. "Do you want me to read it for you?" Callie nodded quickly. Arizona clicked on the link to Callie's wall, searching for the message.

_Hey sis. It's been a while hasn't it? I wanted to congratulate you; I heard you had the baby. We all miss you so much Cal. I hope someday you can forgive us. I really just want my sister back. I'm sorry for everything you've been put through =(. I still love you, we all do. Come back to us Callie? _

"What did she say?" Callie asked quietly, still not looking at the screen. Arizona hesitated.

"She…she said congratulations and that she misses you and is sorry. She wants you back in the family," Arizona eventually admitted. Callie shook her head. She was smiling in disbelief and a single tear was making its way down her cheek.

"I don't…I can't even…like…seriously?...What…"she stuttered, unable to say what she wanted to. Arizona wrapped her arms around her comfortingly, wishing Callie's family would just leave her alone. It was too late to try to make things right.

"It's okay baby, it's okay," Arizona consoled her crying girlfriend.

"Just…why are they doing this to me? Why now? I was finally getting over not having them, and now they want back in like nothing's wrong. I can't…."

"I know, I know Callie. It's hard, I know. Listen, I know what you're thinking about right now and I want you to know that I'm going to support you no matter what you choose okay? Whether you decide to ignore them or work it out, I'm with you," Arizona told her. Callie took another deep breath and pulled away from Arizona, looking her directly in the eyes.

"Arizona Robbins, I could not survive without you," Callie whispered. Arizona smiled.

"Actually, you wouldn't be in this mess at all if it weren't for me. You'd be better off without me," she joked. Callie shook her head and kissed her.

"Don't ever say that."

…

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you," Arizona began. "My parents are coming out for a visit. We're going to go pick them up at the airport tonight."

Callie choked on her water, spilling it all down the front of her. Natalie giggled at her and Arizona tried to hide her grin. Callie quickly dried the cold liquid before it spread too far.

"Tonight? When?" she asked, flustered. Arizona handed her a napkin to help soak up the water.

"Yeah…I figure we should leave in like an hour," Arizona responded, acting as if she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

"One hour? You give me one hour's notice to your parent's arrival!? Are you insane!?" Callie jumped up from the couch, panic rising in her chest, constricting her air passages and making it hard for her to breathe calmly.

"I'm sorry, I forgot with all your Facebook family drama," Arizona defended. Callie gave her a look and she instantly felt guilty. "Callie, I'm sorry, that came out wrong…"

"Whatever," Callie interrupted bitterly. "I need to get ready."

…

Forty-nine minutes later Callie reappeared, fully prepared to go out and be charming. Arizona bit her lip when she saw Callie, hoping she wasn't still upset with her. Callie didn't act any differently though and so Arizona figured it was safe to talk.

"You don't need to be freaking out, if you are. My parents are going to love you. They're…they're not like your parents Callie," she added hesitantly. Callie didn't respond. "They're 110% supportive and they're like the greatest people on the planet."

Callie, who assumed that Arizona was just saying those things to calm her down, tried her best to ease her nerves. But not even playing with Natalie could make her stomach stop hurting. She handed the tired-out baby to Arizona, who was waiting for her.

"So what are we doing with Natalie when we go to the airport?" Callie asked eventually. Arizona's eyes widened. She hadn't thought about that. "Arizona! We have to leave in a few minutes! Now we don't have time to call anyone."

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking straight, I….I guess we'll have to bring her with us." Neither of them very much liked the idea of bringing the baby to the airport, but they had no other option.

The airport was the same as it was on the day that they had gone to pick up Addison: hot, loud, and smelly. Arizona held Natalie, who was somehow fast asleep, in her arms while on the lookout for her parents. At last she spotted them and Callie could tell who they were too without being introduced.

Arizona's mother looked just like an older version of Arizona, except that her eyes were dark green and gold. The man beside her had Arizona's light blue eyes. They both smiled happily upon seeing their daughter. Mom was first to envelope Arizona in a hug, Dad barely waiting for Mom to move out of the way before doing the same.

"And this must be Callie?" Arizona's mother asked brightly, bringing Callie's full attention back to the scene in front of her. She smiled pleasantly.

"Yep," Arizona answered, pulling away from her father. Callie offered her hand. Arizona's dad gripped her hand but pulled her into a hug. Mom ignored her hand completely, embracing Callie and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"It's nice to finally meet you. We've heard so many wonderful things about you," Arizona's mom informed Callie.

"Oh, have you? Well it's very nice to meet you too," Callie replied.

"We wanted to thank you for everything you've done for our daughter. We really appreciate it," her father added. Callie blushed at his gratitude.

"Is this my granddaughter?" Arizona's mom said, turning to Natalie and saving Callie from having to answer.

"Yes, this is Natalie. Isn't she beautiful?" Arizona introduced. Grandma and Grandpa gushed over the baby, saying things like how cute she was and how much she looked like her mother. Callie took a deep breath and prepared to spend the night being charming.

* * *

**_And through it all, she offers me protection  
A lot of love and affection  
Whether I'm right or wrong  
And down the waterfall  
Wherever it may take me  
I know that life wont break me  
When I come to call, she wont forsake me  
I'm loving angels instead_**

**Reviewreviewreview!!! Please. =D**


	15. Angels Part 2

**Starts as a filler, then some cute Callizona. Stick with me some more action should be coming up within the next few chapters. So, enjoy!**

* * *

The car ride back to the apartment was uneventful for the most part. Arizona spent the time catching up with her parents while Callie stayed mostly silent behind the wheel. Occasionally she joined in a conversation involving her or laughed at appropriate moments.

"Sorry we can't take you out," Arizona apologized as they pulled into the driveway. "We don't have a babysitter and it's kind of bad parenting to leave the baby home alone."

"No that's fine. A quiet evening in is just what the doctor ordered, I think," Arizona mom said brightly. Callie tried not to laugh at her epiphany that a quiet evening in was literally what the doctor ordered.

"So how long are you planning on staying in town?" she asked politely. They had finally made it home and were just getting settled in the living room.

"A few days at least. We were hoping to look for a place while we're here," Arizona's dad answered.

"Why are you looking for a place?" Arizona questioned, confused. It took her parents a while to answer.

"We were going to move out here. With you all the way out here in Seattle and with Peter gone…it just seemed like a good idea to move. There's no reason to keep that big ranch anymore." Mom slowly replied.

"But you guys love the ranch…."

"Yes, but it's just a place Arizona. We'd rather be here with you and with our granddaughter. Besides, it'd take care of the babysitting issue," her father joked. "When's the last time you two went out?"

"Uhm…." Neither of them could remember the last time they had an evening to themselves. Before Natalie was born, that was for sure.

"Well, I think it would be great to have you here," Callie said eventually. "I'd love to be able to get to know you better." Arizona's parents smiled.

"That'd be super!" Arizona agreed. The rest of the evening passed quickly with lots of small talk and compliments.

"So when do you go back to work?" Arizona's mom asked Callie. "Or are you already back?"

"No, I go back tomorrow morning," Callie admitted with a grimace. She sure was going to miss sleeping in and spending the day with Natalie.

"What are you doing with Natalie while you're at work?" Callie looked at Arizona and Arizona looked at Callie at precisely the same moment, equal looks of horror on their faces. _We have got to be the worst parents ever_, Callie thought. Arizona's mother laughed.

"We'll watch her for you," she said.

"Are you sure? You don't have to, I know you don't get to come out here very often, you don't have to spend the day cooped inside with the baby," Arizona responded quickly, though Callie could tell that she hoped very much that her parents would watch Natalie.

"Arizona, we came to spend time with you and Natalie. We'd love to babysit for you." Arizona and Callie both concealed a sigh of relief.

…

"So?" Arizona asked, entering the bedroom, anxiously biting her lower lip. "What'd you think?"

"You are _so_ much like your mom," Callie giggled. Arizona pouted.

"No I'm not. I'm my own unique Arizona. My mom is so much like me," Arizona corrected. She crawled into bed next to Callie, snuggling up close, laying her arm over Callie. "I'm really happy they're here. I miss them."

"You know what? I'm happy they're here too. And you know what else? I think I'm going to message my sister tomorrow," Callie announced. Arizona sat up, interested.

"What are you going to say?" Callie paused.

"I don't need them. I have all the family I need right here." Arizona smiled, laying down next to Callie again, content.

…

The alarm clock was loud and obnoxious and it gave Callie the sudden urge to punch something. She slapped the hated electronic into silence and pulled a pillow over her head. She heard Arizona's voice, muffled through the pillow, trying to coax her out of bed.

"I don't wanna get up!" Callie whined. There was silence for a moment, and then Callie heard the distinct screech of the shower. She rolled over, pushing the pillow off of her, knowing she would have at least 10 minutes uninterrupted rest while Arizona was in the shower.

All too soon it seemed though, the shower turned off and Arizona re-emerged. Callie threw the blankets over her head, but it was no use; Arizona knew she was there. She shook Callie's arm gently at first, but then with growing urgency.

"Come on Callie, you have to get up," she said as she tried to rouse the tired bone surgeon. Callie ignored her. With a huff of annoyance, Arizona left to get dressed. Five minutes later she was back, this time with a genius, fool-proof plan. She picked up Natalie from her crib and held her so it looked like she was standing on the mattress, Arizona kneeling behind her.

"Mommy," Arizona cooed in a baby voice, moving Natalie's hands. "Mommy, ge'up! Pwease?"

Callie, in response, reached out from under the covers, kidnapped Natalie, and rolled over so her back was to Arizona. Okay, so maybe the plan wasn't so fool-proof. Arizona sighed and left once again so she could finish getting ready. When she returned ten minutes later, she was annoyed to see Callie still buried under the covers with Natalie.

"Calliope Iphegenia Torres! You'd better get out of bed right now!" Arizona threatened. This made Callie giggle. Her head re-emerged from beneath the covers, smiling rebelliously.

"Oh yeah? And just what are you going to do if I don't?" Arizona raised her eyebrows, a smile forming on her features, revealing adorable dimples. Without warning, Arizona jumped on top of Callie, tickling every place her fingers could reach. Callie laughed hysterically in spite of herself. "Okay…okay, I'll get up! Arizona! Stop…stop, the baby!"

Arizona stopped her tickle attack, grinning triumphantly down at Callie. Callie gasped for breath, trying her recover from her laughing fit. Arizona kissed along Callie's jaw line, unable to resist.

"You're damn lucky you're holding Natalie. I'm not sure I would have stopped," she whispered.

"And that makes me lucky?" Arizona laughed, reluctantly getting up so Callie could get ready for work.

"I don't want to go to work," Callie whined quietly as she climbed from under the haven of the covers.

"It's not so bad. Think about it Cal, we'll be together all day without the baby, with plenty of on-call rooms…." Callie moved considerably faster after those words of inspiration.

* * *

**_A_****_nd through it all she offers me protection  
A lot of love and affection  
Whether I'm right or wrong  
And down the waterfall  
Wherever it may take me  
I know that life wont break me  
When I come to call she wont forsake me  
I'm loving angels instead_**

**Yes, you get the same lyrics, because I'm not as smart as people say I am and I wasn't thinking that the last chapter was a PART ONE. Sorry bout that. Anyways some Callizona alone time coming up? And action? Don't you just want to read more!? Review and tell me how much you want the next chapter =)**


	16. Come On Get Higher

**Due to circumstances beyond my control [sort of], I have been unable to spend much time on the computer lately. And now school is back in session as of tomorrow T_T and I'm juggling three (3!) fics [PLEASE go read my new Callie fic, Bless the Broken Road--it's getting virtually no traffic!].**

**I am semi-proud of myself with this one. It sucks, but it's 1500 words. So....Enjoy!**

* * *

"I wanna drive!" Callie called, racing Arizona out to the car, and losing due to the fact that Arizona was ten inches from the car when Callie decided she wanted to get behind the wheel. "I wanna drive," she repeated with a pout. Arizona rolled her eyes and slowly scooted over to the passenger's seat, hitting her knee on the steering wheel in the process.

"What's with you?" Arizona asked, rubbing her sore knee. Callie cheered when the driver's seat was available and happily hopped in.

"What do you mean?" She took her time adjusting the radio until she found a suitable station before pulling out of the driveway.

"An hour ago you were groaning under the covers. Now you're acting like…me…." Arizona explained. Callie grinned in response.

"I'm just in a very good mood," she answered. "I de-friend-ed my sister today on Facebook, after replying to her comment, _and_ I get to spend the day around adults, the most important of which being you."

"Aw, that's so sweet!...What did you say to your sister?" Arizona added. Callie's smile slipped for a moment.

"Just what I've told you. I don't need them; I have a family now who loves me, no matter what my life choices are." Arizona giggled and leaned towards Callie.

"Babe, I love you _because_ of your life choices," she whispered in Callie's ear. Her warm lips rested on Callie's jaw line, her tongue tracing lazy circles. The tension in Callie's shoulders melted away. Her grip loosened on the wheel and her body sank deeper into the cool leather seat of the car.

"Mmm, not while I'm driving. Come on, Arizona, I'm gonna crash the car," Callie somehow managed to mumble. Arizona giggled again, but sat back obediently.

"You're no fun," Arizona complained. She stuck out her bottom lip in such a cute way that Callie was very tempted to pull the car over and finish what had been started.

"I swear, you're going to be the death of me," Callie gasped, her breathing still not back to normal by the time they'd pulled into the parking lot of Seattle Grace Hospital. Callie bit her lip. She was both nervous and excited about returning to work, but mostly she just couldn't wait to sneak off to an empty on-call room with the pediatrics attending.

When given the choice between taking the stairs and waiting for an empty elevator, both women silently agreed to go with the elevator. The ride took longer than usual due to the fact that Callie had 'accidentally' hit the stop button, giving them several free minutes alone together. Finally Arizona pulled herself just far enough from Callie so she could speak.

"We have to go," she whispered. Callie groaned and rested her forehead against Arizona's. "I'll miss you."

"Can I come visit you in peds?" Callie asked, reluctantly pressing the button for the elevator to move again.

"As often as you can." With a sudden stop, the elevator doors slid passed each other to reveal a hallway in the hospital which looked just like every other hallway, except with more elevators. This was where Callie and Arizona would temporarily part ways.

"Wait," Callie called, reaching her hand out for Arizona's before the elevator closed between them. She pulled the blonde back into the elevator, their bodies pressed close together. "I love you." Arizona smiled and kissed Callie goodbye.

"I love you too," she said, stepping from the elevator so that she wouldn't be caught inside of it, as much as she wanted to be.

Callie was put straight to work almost the second she arrived. Apparently there was a motorcycle accident just minutes before Callie got to work consisting of six broken bones and a few fractured ribs between two people. Mark, who was also working on the accident due to some nasty face lacerations, greeted Callie with the news.

"Really?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Quite the 'welcome back' present, no?" Mark asked rhetorically. Callie opened her mouth as if to say something but no words came out.

Unfortunately, the accident took up most of Callie's time and she couldn't break away to explore the pediatrics wing very often. The two times that she had been able to get away, Arizona was no where to be found, busy with patients of her own. Therefore Callie was a little more than grumpy when she skulked back to the nurses' station where Mark awaited her with coffee.

"What's with you?" He asked, taking a sip from his steaming cup, only to regret it half a second later. He spit out the fiery hot beverage, searching around for anything cool he could put in his mouth.

"There's a water cooler down there," Callie told him, pointing down the hallway. Mark rushed off towards where she indicated, one hand clamped over his mouth. Callie leaned heavily on the familiar nurses' station, her hands holding up her already tired head.

"Boo," I bright voice said from behind her, a cold hand tapping her shoulder. Callie grinned, knowing it was Arizona without having to turn around. "Did I scare you?"

"My heart stopped," Callie answered sincerely. "I've been looking all over peds for you."

"Lots of sick children," Arizona explained regretfully. "But you've been pretty busy too. What's this I hear about a motorcycle accident?"

"Six broken bones!" Callie broke out in an enthusiastic smile, which caused Arizona to laugh.

"So do you want to meet up for lunch today?" Arizona proposed.

"Me, you, and crappy cafeteria food? Hell yes!" Arizona grinned slyly.

"Actually, I had something a little better in mind…." She leaned forward and whispered her intentions in Callie's ear.

"That's _way _better than crappy cafeteria food," Callie breathed. She leaned back on the nurses' station for support.

"One o'clock?" Callie could do nothing but nod until her head hurt. Arizona, still smiling, gave Callie a quick kiss before skating off to save children's lives.

"What's with you?" Mark asked again, coming to a halt beside Callie, a Dixie cup of water in his hand. Callie sighed, still staring after Arizona.

…

Arizona was already in the on-call room when Callie arrived at 1:07 PM. She hurried in and closed and locked the door behind her. The butterflies in her stomach were so great Callie was surprised they didn't lift her from the floor and fly her away. Looking at Arizona, laying on the bed waiting for her, she certainly felt high enough to be flying.

"You're late," Arizona accused, pouting.

"One of my patients coded. He's stable for now and Lexie's watching after him." Arizona sat up.

"How long do you have?" she asked. Callie pulled off her white lab coat and her scrub top.

"Not as long as I'd like," Callie laughed. "Take off your pants." Arizona giggled.

"Yes, ma'am."

…

The room was still, the silence broken only by Arizona and Callie's deep breathing, totally in sync with each other. Callie propped herself up on her elbow, staring lovingly at Arizona whose light blue eyes returned the look.

"What's on your mind?" Arizona whispered, noticing the way Callie absentmindedly traced shapes on her bare stomach with the tip of her finger.

"Huh?" Callie's eyes snapped back to Arizona's, and her finger ceased its never-ending work. Arizona repeated herself.

"I was just thinking…we've been together for almost two years, right? But I don't even know your middle name…."

"You know everything that's important," Arizona said, resting her hand on Callie's warm cheek. Callie said nothing, waiting for Arizona's answer. "It's Elizabeth." Callie smiled.

"Arizona Elizabeth Robbins? That's kind of a mouthful…a beautiful mouthful, of course," Callie added quickly. Arizona rolled her eyes, dropping her hand from Callie's cheek.

"And that is why I didn't tell you before."

"Aw come on, it's better than mine!...Arizona Elizabeth….Your parents like the letter 'Z', don't they?" Callie wondered out loud. Arizona was silent for a moment, thinking.

"Huh. I've never realized that before…."

"I'm gonna call you that from now on!" Callie said suddenly, excited. Arizona was confused.

"Elizabeth?"

"No, Z. There is no way to shorten Arizona like there is with Calliope. Now I have something to call you!" Arizona laughed.

"The hell you are!"

They spent the remainder of their time together laughing and arguing playfully. But then Callie's pager went off, just like she knew it would. She ignored it for a few minutes, curled up against Arizona, wishing she would never have to leave. Eventually Arizona was able to coax her out of bed, arguing that getting fired because she chose to stay in bed with her girlfriend instead of help her patient wasn't a good thing to have on her record.

"But I'm going to miss you!" Callie retorted sadly.

"I'm going to miss you too, but you have to go." Callie leaned down for one last kiss before crawling out of bed and getting dressed.

"Love you, Z," Callie called from the door, giggling. Arizona threw a pillow at her.

* * *

**_I miss the sound of your voice  
And I miss the rush of your skin  
And I miss the still of the silence  
As you breathe out and I breathe in  
_**  
**I was listening to this song while mentally writing the chapter, so now it's the title haha**


	17. Far Away Part 1

**YAY! FINALLY! I know, I know. I'm sorry. In addition to school which is keeping me busy enough, my sister's wedding is in a week and a half, so I have been CRAZY busy. I am truly, deeply, insanely sorry.**

**To sort of make up for it, this chapter is over 2,000 words long! Woo! The ending sucks horribly, and there's a good chance the rest does too, but it's mostly a filler for the action to come muahaha. **

**Enjoy! and please review!**

* * *

Callie watched with mild amusement as Elmo and his friends ran across her television screen, yelling and giggling in loud, high pitched voices. When the furry red monster failed after several attempts to scare Julia Roberts, Callie let out a chuckle. When Julia Roberts then crept up behind Elmo and scared the stuffing out of him, causing him to shake adorably for the rest of the scene, Callie burst out laughing. She looked down to see Natalie giving her an odd look.

"What?" she said defensively. "That was funny!"

Before Callie could so much as stick her tongue out at the baby sitting on her lap, she heard the sharp sound of heels on wood, announcing Arizona's arrival. She hurried into the room, both her hands held at her left ear, attempting to attach an earring. She seemed out of breath an exhausted, but after successfully hooking the earring through her ear, she dropped her hands and smiled her trademark smile at Callie.

"How do I look?" she asked, holding out her arms and giving a quick twirl. Callie grinned.

"Does that really need an answer? You look stunning, as always." Arizona laughed, leaning over the side of the couch to kiss both Callie and Natalie.

"Did you call Cristina yet?" she called breathlessly from the front door. Callie rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and we're set to move in whenever. I told you this. Three times," she answered patiently. Arizona's head appeared around the corner of the living room, a surprised, confused look on her face.

"You did?" Callie nodded in response. Arizona's eyes wondered and her mouth popped open slightly as she thought. "Huh…I guess you did. Sorry, it's just been so crazy lately. We're moving, Mom and Dad are moving, and then there's work and Natalie and…" Arizona ended her sentence in a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly.

"Just go have fun with your parents, okay?" Arizona perked up again, her dimples and teeth showing as she grinned happily at Callie.

"Love you!" she called from the front door again.

"Love you too," Callie replied, her attention already turned back to Sesame Street.

…

It was late when Arizona returned from dinner with her parents. Natalie was already tucked into bed and Callie had dozed off on the couch. Arizona leaned against the wall, watching the bluish light from the television cast shadows on Callie's face as her chest rose and fell with the deep breaths of slumber. Unable to resist any longer, Arizona tiptoed across the room, crouching down in from of her girlfriend.

"Wakey, wakey," she whispered in a childish tone. Callie jerked awake, her head nearly hitting Arizona's face. She kept her eyes closed and rolled onto her back.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Eleven-ish?" Arizona guessed, not having a clock nearby to check. Callie slowly worked her way out of her sleep-state and into awareness, first sitting up and then opening her eyes to look around the dark room. She smiled when she saw Arizona, who was still crouching on the floor beside the couch.

"How'd it go?" Arizona stood and sat beside Callie on the couch. She intertwined her fingers with Callie's, but she didn't look at her directly.

"Uhm…right. I sorta need to talk to you about that…" Arizona said vaguely. Callie looked at her questioningly, leaning forward to try to see Arizona's face clearer. "My parents are leaving tomorrow to go back to the ranch, and I'm going to fly out with them." Callie remained silent still, sensing that there was more to come, but her stomach had knotted painfully at Arizona's quiet words. "They can't pack up that whole house by themselves and so I thought I'd go and help. Plus it'd give me a chance to go through all my things that I've left there."

"How long?" Callie eventually asked, her voice scarily quiet. Arizona drew in a deep breath before answering.

"A week. Maybe more." Callie groaned inwardly. Her body sunk lower against the back of the couch, her hand dropping from Arizona's. "Callie, I'm sorry, but they need me…"

"It's okay." Callie turned back to Arizona, who was watching her anxiously, with a bright and false smile on her face. "I understand…I'm pretty tired. I'm gonna head into bed. G'night!"

Arizona sat numbly on the couch, watching Callie cheerfully get up and walk down the dark hall into their bedroom. What she didn't see was how Callie's stomach hurt to the point where she doubled over beside the bed. What she didn't see was how Callie moved about slowly and heavily with a glum expression on her face. What she didn't see was how much Callie was upset by the idea of Arizona leaving her for a week.

…

"Are you sure you have everything?" Callie asked for the thousandth time. Arizona looked over at her pile of bags anyway.

"Yeah, I think so," she laughed. Her laughter died when she looked into Callie's eyes and saw what was coming.

"Look, about last night…"

"Don't worry about it," Arizona said quickly, trying to dismiss it.

"I was wrong to act like that," Callie continued as though Arizona hadn't interrupted. "I was just freaked out that you were leaving me, and so suddenly too. If you had asked me before, or…or something, I don't know, but I would've been all for it. I _am_ all for it. I think it's great you're going to help out your parents and I'm glad you're going…Well, I'm not glad you're going, but I'm glad you're doing this…." Arizona placed her hand over Callie's mouth to keep her from talking in circles, like she had been doing. Callie always rambled when she was worked up.

"It's okay Callie. I know. I don't want to leave you either, but someone has to stay with Natalie, plus you just had all that time off of work for maternity leave. There's no way the Chief would give you a week off. I'd love nothing more than for you to come with me." Arizona pouted in the adorable way that Callie found irresistible. She rocked forward and gave Arizona a quick kiss.

"You're right," she sighed. "I know that you're right. But I'm going to miss you so much." Arizona buried her head against Callie's chest, unable to say anything other than that she was going to miss Callie more. The sound of the doorbell made them reluctantly separate.

"Ready Zona?" Arizona's father asked almost as soon as the door was opened. Arizona quickly recovered herself and put on her dimpled smile.

"Yep!" Arizona chirped. She turned a full 180 to the playpen that was set up against the wall and lifted Natalie from it. She held the child against her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Callie couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but she caught of few things, like "Take care of Callie for me." Callie smiled uncontrollably at the sight.

"Arizona, honey, we have a flight to catch," her mother gently reminded her. Arizona looked disappointed as Callie took a step forward to take Natalie from her arms. Arizona held onto her baby for one more moment, cradling her head against her shoulder and kissing the top of her head.

"I love you," she whispered to Natalie. Even though she spoke quietly, Callie could hear the shaking in Arizona's voice that meant she was on the verge of tears.

"What about me?" Callie joked lightly, hoping to make Arizona laugh and keep her from crying. Her plan worked, if just barely.

"I guess I love you too," Arizona sighed sarcastically, wrapping one arm around Callie the best she could without squishing Natalie between them.

"You guess?" Callie pretended to be offended, turning her head away from Arizona. Arizona laughed.

"What I meant to say was," Arizona began, "that I love you with all of my heart until the end of time and beyond. Better?"

"Much." Callie grinned and leaned forward to kiss Arizona. She was about to pull away when Arizona laced her fingers through Callie's hair, holding her close to deepen the kiss. "Wow. I love you too!" Callie breathed when Arizona finally let her go. For a moment, they stood perfectly still, neither wanting to let the other go. But then Callie took a step back. "You're going to miss your plane. Call me as soon as you land, okay?" Arizona nodded, sadly taking a few steps away from Callie and retrieving her luggage.

"I'll miss you Calliope," she said, halfway out the door.

"And I'll miss you Z," Callie replied, grinning at the use of Arizona's hated new nickname. Callie waved goodbye to Arizona's parents and stood in the door until their car was no longer in view.

"Well kid," Callie sighed, leaning against the closed door and taking in the sight of their empty apartment. "I guess it's just you and me." Natalie giggled happily, causing Callie to break out into uncontrollable laughter.

…

"Alrighty, so what would Mommy never let you do?" Callie asked Natalie, letting herself fall into a comfortable position on the couch. "Want a tattoo?" Natalie didn't answer. "Yeah, you're right. They're overrated. Piercing? Nahh, hurts like a bitch. Oops. Sorry kiddo. Don't ever get your vocabulary from me."

Natalie still didn't make any noise. She just sat on Callie's stomach, smiling adorably. Callie took in the sight of her light blue eyes and her trademark dimples. She looked so much like Arizona already, it was incredible.

"You don't talk much do you?" Natalie gurgled defensively, baby spit rolling from her mouth in a thick, slimy rope. "Eww, keep it in your mouth, will ya?" Callie reached over to the coffee table and grabbed an extra napkin. Callie and Arizona had learned to keep plenty within easy access at all times because of baby drool. Callie quickly wiped up the spit before it dripped anyway, accidentally tickling Natalie in the process. _Maybe this week won't be so bad after all_, Callie thought as the sound of Natalie's laughter filled her ears.

…

Callie sat up quickly, the loud ringing of her cell phone bringing her into full alertness. She looked around wildly, not finding it but knowing that it was Arizona calling. She could tell by the soreness of her back and the way there was an imprint of her jeans on her hand that she had fallen asleep sometime during Finding Nemo, and Natalie was also missing. Panicking, Callie jumped up from the couch.

Thankfully she didn't have to search long. As soon as she entered the hallway, she found Natalie sitting on the hardwood floor. She held the still-ringing phone to her ear as she had seen both Callie and Arizona do many times. Callie placed a hand over her fast-beating heart and let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Hey Nat, thanks for finding my phone for me," she said in a happy tone, reaching down for her phone. Natalie wouldn't let it go. "Come on baby, let me have it." When at last Callie got hold of her cell phone and gently pulled it free from Natalie's grip, the baby started crying loudly. Callie quickly answered the phone and scooped up the child.

"Calliope? Jeez, I was starting to get worried!" Arizona's voice greeted Callie's eager ears and made her smile, despite the fact that she was holding a screaming baby.

"Sorry, my phone was stolen," Callie explained in a playful voice. Arizona caught on quickly.

"Is that her I hear now?" she asked worriedly. Natalie didn't cry very often. Callie tried to think of something to say without letting it slip to Arizona that she had fallen asleep while babysitting.

"Uhm, yeah. Yeah, she's been pretty cranky since you left. I think she misses you," Callie covered.

"Awe, well I miss my baby too!" Arizona gushed through the phone.

"Which one?"

"Both of you, of course!" Arizona laughed. Callie could hear the smile in her voice.

"So the flight went well?" Callie asked, walking Natalie into the bedroom to put her down for a nap, which she was in desperate need of.

"Yeah, everything went surprisingly smoothly and we're already at the ranch. Oh, guess what! My sister-in-law Eva's here, and she brought Danny with her!" Arizona sounded excited, so Callie cheered.

"…And Danny is…?"

"Oh, right! Sorry," Arizona laughed, "Danny's my adorable nephew, one of the coolest kids I know!"

"Ahh," Callie said, genuinely cheerful this time. "Well, I'm glad you seem to be having a good time."

"Yeah, I am. It'd be better if you were here though," Arizona added glumly.

"I know, I wish I were with you too," Callie sighed regretfully. "How about a video chat tonight before bed?"

"Okay!" Arizona agreed enthusiastically. "Yay! I get to see you tonight!"

"Yay! I love you Arizona."

"I love you too Calliope." Callie hung up slowly, her hand gently stroking Natalie's soft blonde hair. She had just fallen asleep and she looked more like Arizona than ever.

* * *

**_I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_**

**Eh. I needed a song and it was the first that came to mind. **

**So? Was it awful? Was it so not worth the wait? Review and let me know!**


	18. Far Away Part 2

**

* * *

**

How about some new characters? How about some background? How about some foreshadowing? How about some real writing on my part? Here. It. Is. my friends. Enjoy it.

* * *

"Aunt Zona, it's my turn!" 10-year-old Danny Robbins whined. He was gripping the arm of the couch where Arizona sat with both hands, bouncing up and down impatiently. Arizona's head was bent intensely over a black DS Lite and she was only barely listening to the child's complaints.

"But I'm on the last lap!" Arizona argued, her eyes glued to the top screen, where various Nintendo characters raced around in Go-Kart-type vehicles.

"You've been playing for almost an hour!" Before Arizona could say anything, her mother walked into the living room and stopped, hands on her hips.

"What's going on?" she asked, already figuring out what was happening.

"She won't give me my DS back, and she's had it forever!" Danny complained to his grandmother. Arizona heard her mother sigh in an exasperated way.

"Arizona, give the boy his DS," she scolded lightly, a laugh hidden beneath her words.

"Fine," Arizona mumbled, flipping the video game closed and handing it to the waiting child. She had just come in 2nd anyway. Danny ran off with a cheer to play his game while Arizona's mother settled on the couch beside her daughter.

"Where's Eva?" Arizona asked. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"I think she's up in Pet—in her room, packing," her mother answered, her eyes not leaving the television's glowing screen. Arizona took a deep breath to steady herself so she could pretend that her mother didn't intentionally avoid saying Peter's name. Arizona knew that her parents found it easier to act like Peter didn't exist half the time than to face the fact that they had lost a child, and it pissed Arizona off.

"Right. I should probably do that too," she said, letting the issue drop but making up an excuse to leave the room all the same.

When she reached her bedroom, Arizona found Danny lying stretched out on her bed, DS held barely an inch from his face. She watched for a moment as he whispered at the game and encouraged the Go-Karts to move faster than seemed impossible.

"Hey buddy," she greeted happily. "Why aren't you in your room?"

"Mom's in there and she locked the door," he replied in a bored voice.

"Do you know why?" Arizona questioned, confused. Danny shrugged and it couldn't be more obvious that he could care less about anything other than the video game he was playing.

Arizona left the boy in peace and went down the hall to the room that used to be her brother's. She had walked the path from her room to his so many times as a child that there was an obvious beaten down path in the carpet. She remembered being scared by noises or storms or dreams in the middle of the night and running into his room.

Now she walked the same path, scared for a different reason. This time she wasn't scared for herself, but for her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law who lost her husband nearly three years previously and had never fully recovered from that. Arizona knew through her mother's gossip that Eva had taken to drinking after it first happened, but she thought that Eva had cleaned herself up a while back. Now with the present situation though, Arizona grew more and more suspicious with every step she took down the familiar hallway.

"Eva," Arizona called, knocking on the sticker-covered door. Both Arizona and Peter had a tradition of putting every sticker they received on their bedroom doors. It drove their parents crazy but they kept doing it anyway. "Eva, it's Ari, open the door. Please."

After a few minutes of waiting, Arizona heard the lock click and she cautiously tested the doorknob. It turned freely and allowed her entrance into the room, which was dark except for the dull glow from the desk lamp. On the desk was a paper bag the shape of a bottle and sitting on the bed staring loathingly and longingly at the bottle was Eva. Arizona sat silently on the bed beside her sister-in-law. Neither said anything or even moved for the longest time but when the silence was finally broken, it was Arizona who did it.

"I thought you quit," she said in a calm voice. She carefully kept all of the accusation and other emotions from her voice in hopes that Eva would open up to her more freely.

"I've quit a thousand times," Eva laughed bitterly. "And every time, something comes up and drives me right back to the bottle. I try to think of Danny because I know how much it hurts him when I drink, but it just hurts too much sometimes. And Danny looks so much like his father. I forget he's not Peter sometimes."

"What do you mean, 'something comes up'?" Arizona couldn't help but ask. Eva laughed again, more of a pained bark than anything else.

"Your brother," Eva began with the air of someone about to tell a thrilling, yet depressing tale. When Eva turned her head towards Arizona, Arizona caught a strong whiff of wine and realized that her sister-in-law was already drunk. "Your brother was not the great guy you think he was—"

"What are you talking about?" Arizona interrupted angrily, already knowing she didn't want to hear the story she was going to be told.

"No, listen to me!" Eva cried, grabbing Arizona's arm tightly and holding her in place on the bed. "The man was a douche. He was having an affair." Arizona gasped. "I had the suspicion, but it wasn't until after he…until afterwards that I knew for sure. Her name was Michelle. She has a five-year-old son now." Arizona pulled her arm free and put her hands over her mouth. The man she was hearing about didn't sound like her brother, but the pain in Eva's eyes was so real, she had no choice but to believe.

"Last night I found his journals," she continued. "I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to read them. He was planning on leaving me, Ari." Tears began to fall from Eva's green eyes and Arizona barely had time to process the news before the dark-haired woman was clutching Arizona for support.

"It's been three years Arizona, and he's still finding ways to hurt me. And I'm still weak enough to let it get to me, to make me run to the bottle. It's not fair to Danny. Sometimes…sometimes I'm so horrible to him. And I know it but I can't stop myself when I get like that. I'm sick Arizona, and it's hurting my son. Will you take him? Until I get help and until I get better, will you take Danny and keep him safe?"

Arizona sat with her mouth and eyes gaping, trying to avoid looking at the woman she held in her hands and her pained, pleading tears.

…

Callie paced a 3 by 3 foot square of the airport, her head snapping up every few seconds to look at first the sign informing her that Arizona's flight was on-time, second to the clock on the wall informing her that Arizona should have been in her arms 3 minutes prior, and third to the gate's exit where passengers were slowly emerging. Then she would stare at the floor, pacing, for 30 seconds and repeat the entire process. Finally Callie heard something to make her smile.

"Calliope!" Callie turned just in time to see a flash of curly blonde hair, and then Arizona was on top of her, her arms wrapped around Callie's neck and her legs around Callie's waist. Her lips pressed eagerly and passionately against Callie's and she only pulled away because the lack of oxygen became an issue.

"Well hello," Callie gasped, grinning brightly at her girlfriend. Arizona giggled adorably, dropping from Callie.

"Hi. Where's Natalie?" Arizona asked, noticing that Callie's arms were empty.

"She was sleeping and I didn't have the heart to wake her up and drag her out here. She's at Mark's." Arizona's eyes displayed pure horror at the thought of Mark babysitting. "Lexie's there too!" Callie quickly added. Arizona breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, so there's someone I want you to meet. Please don't be mad at me."

Arizona stepped aside and standing behind her was someone Callie hadn't noticed before. The boy was young and looked just like Arizona except with dark brown hair. Callie held her breath, waiting for Arizona to tell her that he was her son.

"This is my nephew Danny. Danny, this is Callie, my girlfriend." Danny jerked his head up and lifted his hand in a shy wave. Callie smiled at him after recovering from the initial surprise. "Danny's going to be staying with us for a little while, and I promise I will explain everything to you later. But right now, we're starving and some greasy airport fast food would be great right now." Arizona smiled widely, hinting at Callie to let it drop for now. Callie looked down at the child, who was looking down at the floor with a mixture of nerves and embarrassment. Callie nodded briefly, but was no where near ready to let the matter drop.

…

"What the hell Arizona?!" Callie stage whispered, angrily unmaking the bed so they could climb in it.

"I'm sorry, Cal, I'm really, really sorry. But I had to do it!" Arizona defended, her voice thick from being on the verge of tears.

"Alright, alright, just…start from the beginning. What happened?" Callie said slowly. She was taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Arizona sat on the bed, and gently tugged at Callie's hand to pull her down too.

"Okay, so…Danny's mother has been having trouble coping with Peter's death—I know, it was three years ago," she added, for Callie had opened her mouth to object. "But she keeps…learning new information about him. He was cheating on her, and he was planning on leaving her. Danny has a brother he knows nothing about." Callie gasped in shock, just as Arizona had done when she learned the truth. "Eva can't handle it, and she's drinking. Every time she gets clean, something forces her back. She begged me to take Danny, just until she gets better. I couldn't leave him with her."

"Okay. It's okay. It's okay Z, I'm not mad," Callie whispered, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. Arizona chuckled at the use of her disliked nickname.

"You're not? 'Cause I was kind of expecting yelling and tears and all that not-fun stuff." Callie laughed.

"'All that not-fun stuff'?" she quoted. "God, I love you." Arizona giggled too, kissing Callie sweetly.

"Shush, you." Together they fell back onto the bed.

"Arizona? Don't leave me again."

"I won't," Arizona promised.

* * *

**I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
**


	19. Author Update

**Okay guys, I think an author update is required here. I know it's been forever since I've posted anything. I've decided that because of school and other things, I've been too busy to write. So I think it's only fair to you guys that I tell that I will be taking a little break. I'm not sure how long this hiatus will last, but probably a couple of weeks. But I am definitely not just giving up on my fics. I will write them. But right now I'm overworked and unmotivated, so I'm taking a breather.**

**To my _Someday_ fans: I will write the revision. I promise, it is definitely getting done. I have some idea bouncing around, I just have to make time and sit down and actually write it. I'm hoping after the holidays, mayber during break, I'll be able to get that posted for you.**

**And to everyone: I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Again, maybe after the holidays I'll be able to focus more on this.**

**Please stick with me guys, I'm not abandoning you. **

**~Laurie**


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